MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS –
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” Psalms 46:4
It’ funny how still after all these years, I cannot seem to move away from “there is a river”. The river of his presence seems to remain a constant theme in my life. Just recently a portion of Canal St in New Orleans is closed because it has a gigantic sinkhole right at the end of it. Evidently there is a huge “river” of water flowing underground from broken water pipes. I pray you too have found this underground river of His cleansing, His ever flowing love and grace.
Ralph Erskine says it this way;
“God the Father is the river: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 .
God the Son is the river, the fountain of salvation: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1 .
God the Spirit is the river: “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 7:38 4:14.
I have mentioned our property flooded a few months ago and it has been amazing to me the amount of sand that has been left behind. Also new shoots of bamboo are shooting up everywhere. Everywhere the river goes there is life.
Exposition goes to say- “What are the streams of this river? Answer — the perfections of God, the fulness of Christ, the operations of the Spirit, and these running in the channel of the covenant of promise.”
There is a river. Divine grace like a smoothly flowing, fertilizing, full, and never failing river, yields refreshment and consolation to believers. This is the river of the water of life, of which the church above as well as the church below partakes evermore. It is no boisterous ocean, but a placid stream, it is not stayed in its course by earthquakes or crumbling mountains, it follows its serene course without disturbance. Happy are they who know from their own experience that there is such a river of God.”
If you don’t watch out, one might grow tired of the river or ignore it; pretend that the river doesn’t exist. But as Christians we know “there is a river –it will have its way in our lives and hearts. It cannot be walled in or stopped. It will overflow its banks and take what it wants and leaves behind new life and new growth.
Step into the river my friends–it’s streams will take you right into His presence.