river

Rivers of Living Water
Ezek 47:1-5 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

The Holy Ghost is spoken of as rivers of living water (John 7:38-39). It seems that many of this generation want just enough of the Spirit of God so they are ankle deep. While in ankle deep water you are still very much in control. You can move about as you will and can even get out if you choose. Many have anchored down here and don't want to be moved. Oh these may make it to heaven, if they don't get out of the water?

If we move on up the river we are in water up to our knees, here we are still in control, not the water. We can move about, as we will. Many like to anchor down here and stay doing as they please and not being moved by the water.

As we move on in the water it gets up to our waist. Now the water is getting in partial control. We can still move about, as we will, most of the time. Many like to anchor down and stay here being in control part of the time and letting the water be in control from time to time.

In the next stage the water becomes a river that cannot be passed over by human control. Here the water is in full control! The water will carry us about as it wills. Here we must lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us. In water this deep we dare not carry any weights. Beloved, this is where I desire to be. I desire to be led by the Holy Ghost. To be carried about as He wills. I do not want my cup to be filled, I desire to have this whole vessel filled to the overflowing with the Spirit of the Living God. I don't want to anchor down anywhere, I desire to flow with the Holy Spirit. Some want to keep one foot on the bank and the other in the water. In water this deep it cannot be done. This is not a muddy river but clear flowing life giving water.

I want to give full control to Him and be a vessel of honor to Him in everything. I cannot do that in my own ability, I have tried and failed. I must be filled to the overflowing with the Holy Ghost and let Him be my guide. I want those rivers of living water flowing through this vessel. Then He will bring life everywhere we go. Then will I be yoked with Him and go where He goes and cannot do anything with out Him.

A river cannot be stopped. When a barrier is put up it will soon break through the restriction and keep on flowing! When rivers flow together there is a mighty force that cannot be stopped! Things in the path of the rivers will be torn apart. The only safe place is to flow with the river! Oh, to constantly flow with the Spirit of God! What if there was a church where everyone was flowing together with the Spirit of God? Would that be a true New Testament church? Would signs and wonders be a common occurrence?

Do you want this kind of relationship with the Lord? We can have it when we desire it with our whole heart. We must make our desire known to Him and seek it with our whole heart.

Before we can be filled with the Spirit, the desire to be filled must be all-consuming. It must be for the time the biggest thing in the life, so acute, so intrusive as to crowd out everything else. The degree of fullness in any life accords perfectly with the intensity of true desire. We have as much of God as we actually want. A. W. TOZER (1897–1963)