Water

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”—John 7:37-38

If out of my heart there are to flow rivers of living water, then there must be a purpose. Could Jesus be saying more than what at first meets our eye in this scripture? Is He saying that our rivers are to flow constantly outward? Is He saying that our rivers are never to be dammed up? Are we to allow others to enter our rivers so that they may benefit, taste and drink from this refreshing source of everlasting life?

So what is a river, really? The dictionary says that a river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, that flows toward an ocean, lake, sea, or another river. Only in a few cases, does a river simply flow into the ground or dry up before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including streams, creeks, brooks, rivulets, tributaries and rills. There is no general rule that defines what can be called a river, although in some countries or communities a stream may be defined by its size.


So if a river’s purpose is to reach another body of water, then spiritually are we striving to reach another? What is happening along the waterway? Are we affecting others as we flow along? Is our water bitter? Is our water sweet? Is our water dying up or turned away from the original body of water that it was flowing toward in the first place? Do we even have a river flowing? When did it begin or when did it end?


But I have an even greater question ~ have we been drying up and gone without sufficient water within our banks for so long that we don’t even notice we’re thirsting for the one we’re flowing toward?

This question is profound because it points to both the natural and the spiritual realms. (I believe God views these realms as one and the same, but we just haven’t come to that full realization yet.)

We can get so used to not having enough of something to the point that we don’t realize we need it any longer! How sad and scary that thought is…

Spiritually, if I go long enough without praying, studying God’s Word, seeking His face and being in the congregation with other Christians then there will come a time that it seems I don’t need to do those things. This would be cause for emotional, mental and eventually physical ailments to surface because I would not be getting what I needed daily to live a healthy Christian lifestyle.


On the other hand...
These thoughts were what triggered within me after I read Joyce’s chapter, “Water Your Life” in Look Great, Feel Great.  I’m still thinking on those things as I ponder the more natural side of her message.  The message she gave in her book.

Personally speaking, after many years of self-indulgence and abuse, I came to relize that God wants me to act out my faith.  He wants me to be a witness.  He hasn’t asked me to get up on the rooftop, wave a huge banner and yell about him.  He has asked me to be a walking testimony to those around me, to always be able to answer when I’m asked a question about Him and to daily surrender my life to Him. Am I always successful? No, sad to say I am not, but that doesn’t stop me from working toward being the best I can be for Him.  I vow not to give up or give in even when it’s hard.  Sometimes this path I've chosen is very hard, but He holds my hand!

Back to Joyce and her “Water” chapter… She states many things, but I’m just going to take the part that applies to me and elaborate on it. I’ve found when talking to others that many of us have the same issues when it comes to health and drinking enough water has been one of my issues ever since I can remember. I’m getting better but I still have to remind myself to drink plain, old water throughout the day. I researched several articles after reading Joyce. I knew some of it but here’s more of what I discovered and it was a reminder as well as an eye opener for me; maybe it will be for you as well…

The body is an amazing creation but dehydration causes serious problems. It is dangerous to continually be dehydrated because the entire human body needs water to function properly.


We all need at least one liter of water daily just to maintain basic body functions. Water is lost through the lungs with every breath we take. Water is also lost with daily urination, sweat and stool. If the body doesn’t get enough water our metabolism becomes faulty. We may eat right but the lack of water keeps our body from operating, as it should. Our cells, tissues and organs all depend upon water. Even the neural pathways and other fluids systems of our body depend upon water. Every chemical reaction that takes place in our bodies is based upon this unique liquid. No other liquid meets the standard and no cell or organ can work properly without water!

The brain will not function properly without water. It needs to be hydrated or confusion can set in and early signs of dementia appear. Skin and muscles that are in poor condition are often the result of not having enough water. If the brain doesn’t have what is necessary to operate then it cannot signal the rest of our bodies to function properly either. The body first looks for water within its cells all over the body and then it looks for water on the outside of its cells and finally it takes water straight from the bloodstream. When our body suffers dehydration on a regular basis, it tries to store up water and this results in edema where the areas surrounding the eyes, feet, legs and ankles are most often affected. This extra water storage in the body may cause different disorders and severe life threatening damage.

Some Symptoms of Dehydration include:

· Exhaustion and lack of energy (When the body is struggling to maintain healthy tissue we feel exhausted.)

· Constipation (The intestinal tract needs sufficient water for smooth operation.)

· Eating Disorders (When digestive juices are reduced by lack of water, the body sends false signals of appetite which result in eating disorders.)

· Low or high blood pressure (Blood volume has to do with the amount of water in our blood, if it’s insufficient to fill the arteries, veins and capillaries then the body may react in either low or high blood pressure.)

· Gastritis and/or gastric ulcer (The stomach must be protected from injury by gastric acids and water is that protection.)

· Problems with the respiratory system (Mucous membranes need water to protect the body from harmful substances found in inhaled air.)

· Improper acid-alkaline balances (When the body is acidic: yeast, bacteria, viruses and cancer can thrive; when the body is alkaline: foreign bacteria, viruses, yeast and cancer can not live—but there must be balance between the acid and alkaline levels for a healthy existence.)

· Extra weight and obesity (We often confuse thirst with hunger and overeat because we actually need water. Drinking more water will allow our bodies to burn more calories.)

· Eczema (The body needs to carry off toxins and skin irritants and if the proper water is not maintained then the toxins erupt on the skin.)

· Cholesterol (When the cells lose water, the body tries to stop it by producing more cholesterol—maybe it wasn’t those eggs after all!)

WOW! and this is only part of the symptoms...

The next issue has been that any liquid counts as water.  I’ve read a lot about that, both pro and con but the only thing I come away thinking is that there were no soda fountains in the garden for Adam and Eve to fill their cups and the juice was always on the inside of the fruit. Hmmm… I made my decision to start drinking water based on that at first. Then I’m reminded of the scriptures concerning water. Just try putting the name of your favorite beverage in place of water… you’ll have a chuckle I’m sure and hopefully a point will be made for water. (Just look at my verse—out of his heart will flow rivers of Dr. Pepper! LOL)


In the end, as usual, Joyce gives us some tips. Basically, have water available at all times. When you are switching from sweetened beverages to water, go slow and make it taste good. You can purchase slightly sweetened and flavored waters and eventually just have water. She mentioned much, much more… so read it for your self. There may be something else that triggers you to start drinking water…


Now, let’s plan on drinking more water this week and less of other beverages. How about it?   Let’s remember that our body, God’s temples are being restored! As we gain health and vitality, others may wonder how and why and our answer may not only be natural but spiritual in nature. Even if they never ask, we will know and be ready to give answer.   Have a great week!