I love the water. I think when I was growing up I was part fish. I have fond memories of spending the summer at the swimming pool, and not a lot has changed since then. I enjoy being in rivers, lakes, swimming pools, and the ocean. My husband being raised in California and Hawaii also loves water and the ocean. We have definitely passed that love down to our children as well. Each summer we look forward to some sort of beach vacation as a family.
One thing I very much enjoy doing especially at a Texas beach, is to go out into the ocean until you find what we like to call a sweet spot. You can get beyond the part where the waves crash hard and kind of float in an in-between space between the crashing waves. You have to keep an eye on it though because water is a powerful force and can slowly push you into where the waves are crashing. Before you know it, you are sputtering salt water.
Have you ever felt the pull of wanting more of God, but you haven’t necessarily wanted the messiness or lack of control that comes with that? For many people, we pride ourselves on maintaining control. Control of our circumstances, control of emotions, or even for some the control of the people around us.
Many people like to say that God is a God of order. That is true. He brought order out of chaos when He created the world. However, there are many times when his order looks much different than ours.
There is an interesting passage in Ezekiel where Ezekiel is having an encounter with God. In this passage, God is showing Ezekiel how he will reestablish His Temple after Israel’s rebellion and idolatry. In Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel is walking with the man in his vision and he notices water flowing from the Temple.
Ezekiel 47:3 – 5 (TPT) “The man holding his measuring line walked east and measured off a thousand cubits. Then he made me wade across the shallow water, and it was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and told me to wade across the stream again; the water was up to my knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and made me wade across the stream again, and the water was up to my waist. He measured off another thousand; it was now a river over my head, which I was unable to swim across. It was a deep swollen river – a river no one could cross.”
The river that Ezekiel witnesses flowing out of the Temple represents the Holy Spirit and life from God. When most of us first come into a relationship with the Lord and begin our walk with Christ, we are ankle-deep. We are learning about God and our relationship with Him is not very deep. As we learn and grow, hopefully, we progress to knee-deep and waist-deep. However, how many of us are truly comfortable with getting in the River of God and just being immersed in it? How many of us are willing to let go of control to the point that we trust God in that we can’t touch the bottom or wade out quickly if we become uncomfortable?
I will be honest and say there have been times in my life where I consciously or subconsciously told the Lord I am willing to go this far but being completely immersed is a little scary, and I would like to maintain some semblance of control. Which is funny because when you think about it, control is really an illusion. The Bible speaks of self-control, and we can control our thoughts, actions, and reactions. But that is it. Most of what goes on around us we cannot control.
The problem is when we tell God out of our need to control, you can come here but no further, we are potentially cutting ourselves off from the very life that God wants to give us. In John 7:38 (TPT), Jesus is speaking and says, “Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!”
Because Jesus came to earth and died for our sins when we say yes to Him and live in relationship with Him, that river that Ezekiel saw flowing from the Temple now flows in us and through us to other people. So the implication here is that when we limit what we allow God to do, not only are we cutting ourselves off from all that God wants to give us, we are also limiting what we can give to those around us.
Psalm 46:4 (TPT) “God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places.”
What an amazing scripture! This is a beautiful description of the flowing river that brings joy and delight and flows into his Holy dwelling places. Do you know who His Holy dwelling places are? You and me! God is no longer limited to a building or Temple. Because Christ died for our sins, we are now His Holy dwelling places! So that river that flowed from the Temple now flows from God Most High and directly to us and in us. What a great picture!
So friend, where are you limiting God? Yes, sometimes it is messy to immerse yourself in the river. Sometimes things come to the surface you did not even know were there. But God in His grace is right there ready to help you deal with and get rid of any of those things. Be brave enough to ask the Lord where you have placed limits on his flowing river. When he points them out, be quick to ask for forgiveness and give Him permission to flow fully through your life. Not only will you experience a new level in Him, but those around you will too!
Check out these other Posts!
Stay Liquid: Join the Flow of Living Waters by Lisa Crowder https://lisacrowder.substack.com/p/stay-liquid-join-the-flow-of-living
Simple Is Better – Finding Spiritual Flow by Dianne Vielhuber https://simplewordsoffaith.com/2024/05/01/simple-is-better-finding-spiritual-flow
How To Thrive with Structure vs. Flow