Speaking of Life 2033 | Come Drink
Greg Williams
On a hot day after a rigorous workout nothing satisfies more than a cold glass of water. I remember as a teenager working in the apple orchard with my grandfather, Pa Glenn, when he would ask me to bring him the water jug so he could have a long drink of “Adam’s ale.” That was his colorful expression for water. Just as water refreshes physically, when we are in a spiritual workout, nothing satisfies more than God’s word.
Notice the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Isaiah 55:10-11, 13 (ESV)
Much of the terrain in the area of Israel, where these words were written thousands of years ago, is arid to say the least. Precipitation meant the difference between not just a bad and good harvest, but sometimes between life and death.
In these words from Isaiah, God talks about his Word, his creative presence engaging with the world. The metaphor he uses, over and over, is water, rain and snow. Refreshing and giving life are signs of God’s presence.
Look at verse 13 again:
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle”
Does that sound familiar? Think of the curse when Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden: that thorns and thistles would come up from the earth. Here we see the reverse of that—the promise of blessing and abundance instead of more desert, instead of more loss.
We live in a time now, where in much of the world we don’t have to worry about whether the rain will fall to survive. Especially in the west, our needs are more than met. Yet we still deal with the aridity and the thorns and thistles within our hearts. We find ourselves in a soul desert.
We need, desperately, for the sweet rain and renewal of God to fall on us. Fellowship, worship and serving the broken are the nourishing, replenishing places where we need to meet with God.
Are you thirsty today? Are you tired of the thorns that grow from jealousy, the thistles that sprout from rage, the dry deadness of lust?
Come drink. Nourish yourself on the water that’s always flowing. It’s what sustains the world.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
