~The Stream
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~The Stream |
Just
down the road from my house
there is a stream which normally flows
freely through the woods. One day
awhile back, I noticed that the flowing
had slowed to a trickle. This drew my
attention, and I began to look more
closely to discover the cause of the
problem. As I observed, I began to think
about a similar situation that was going
on in my life at the time.
Normally in my relationship with God,
there is a peace and an accompanying
freedom. At this particular time
however, there was a hindrance, and the flow of
His life in me was not as free as it is
normally. Even so I knew, because of
the promises in His Word, that He had
not left me (Hebrews 13:5). I turned to
look at the stream again.
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At
a bend in the water's path, I spotted a soggy old discarded
rag which had gotten caught on the rocks. Backed up behind the
rag were several other bits of trash that had caught there one
at a time, each one catching on the previous blockage. What had
obviously begun as a slight hindrance had become a major one because
the very first one had not been removed. What used to be a
steady flow, had become only a slight trickle. Using a fallen branch,
I fished the trash out of the stream and immediately the flow
returned. There in the woods I took care of some business with God.
Confessing and letting go of resentments that had been too
long unattended, as well as a lack of trusting Him in my circumstances
, I removed the debris inwardly and walked back to the house
with my peace restored and with the stream within moving freely again.
Jesus referred to this as a well of living water within us that springs
up to eternal life. (John 4:14) If you have never experienced this inner
flow of peace and life and fellowship with God that I have described,
it can be yours today by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior and asking His Spirit to cleanse and fill
you.And if like me, the stream within has just become clogged with debris, be reminded of the following: "If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).
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