Living Water

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

LIVING WATER

Prov 21:1

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

NIV

How could any earthly king have his heart in the hand of the Lord? If we used the term king to various rulers of countries throughout the course of time, we would see some of them were extremely evil in the sight of God. Even in our present day in our country the term king would have to be applied to those who serve as the President of the United States and again many of them have done evil in the sight of God. How then could we think he was directing their path as like a watercourse, wherever he pleases? We simply could not fathom God directing people in evil. That is completely inconsistent with his character. This saying could only apply to a true king, a king who is after Gods own heart. David fit that criteria, at least being a man after God’s own heart, but David was also a man who sinned grievously before God. Jesus is a true king. He is the only true king in the sense of doing everything the Lord directed him to do. But let us consider the Lord has the power to change the course of a king’s life, for that matter God has the power to change the course of our lives. Has he changed the course of lives of kings? Has he changed the course of our lives? The answer about the kings, we cannot speak to for all we can see is their outside, and God sees their heart. But we do know our own heart. We do know the course our lives were on and when God intervened in that course of our lives, he directed the course completely on another direction. He changed the course of our lives. It was a wandering raging river cutting a path to and fro through the landscape of life, with no purpose, no plan, and no reason. But God redirected it into a smooth deep river, flowing straight and wide, by which many could use for growing trees that bear much fruit. We have become streams of living water.

John 7:38-39

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

NIV

This spring of living water is the Spirit, at least that is what is said he meant. Yet he quoted some scripture and it is though he was referring to Isaiah.

 Isa 58:11

11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

NIV

Nevertheless let us consider that we are that stream of living water, that river flowing from the heart or hand of God, being directed as he pleases. Our purpose now is to flow wherever God causes us to flow. We no longer may direct the course of our own lives, but we are subject to his hand upon our heart. One other thought about this word king. It means royalty and thus it could be applied to us. We now have the right to be called children of God. We are co-heirs with Christ. Because God is the King of Kings, because Jesus is Lord, and he is a royal priest forever as in the order of Melchizedek, we too then could be considered royalty. Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we could then be this king in this saying. Let us flow with living water.