[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 08/Nov/2020]
One of my favourite Old Testament passages is the description of the River of Life flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47 v 1-12). The river flowed out from the temple towards the East. After 1,000 cubits (around a quarter of a mile) it was ankle deep; after another 1,000 cubits it was knee deep; after another 1,000 cubits it was up to the waist and finally after another 1,000 cubits it was deep enough to swim in –a great river no-one could cross.
Centuries after this prophecy Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7 v 38,39).
I do not like cold water and when on holiday with David I watch him jump straight into the pool, while I lower myself into it very slowly. Getting from ankle deep to knee deep is not too bad, but it takes me much longer to get up to my waist and the hard-est part of all is getting the water past my heart and up to my neck. Yet all the time I am hesitating and shivering, I am unable to enjoy the pool. It is only once I am in it up to my neck that I can start to swim and get warm.
All too often we are like that with the Holy Spirit, content to get our feet wet, perhaps even wade in up to our waists, but too frightened to let him take control of our hearts and our lives. I have often held back through fear, but I do know that on those occasions when I have been able to take a leap of faith and trust God, I have never regretted it.
Psalm 34 v 8 says “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
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Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © Helen Ruffhead