Category: Revelation

  • Living Water – the water that truly refreshes

    Fossilised plants and leaves - McAbee Fossil Beds, BC
    Fossilised leaves – Mcabee Fossil Beds BC

    It was summer, and I was up on the mountaintop, digging  fossilized fish and plants. Kathy opted to stay back on the valley floor with the dog, where it was relatively cool and shady.

    The dig was on private property and appropriately licensed. I toiled away for a couple of hours baking under the sun and realized I had left my water bottle in the car.

    Eventually, I made my way back down the winding path, carrying several ore bags full of samples. I was parched to the point of feeling weak. Kathy met me at the bottom with a cold bottle of water fresh from the cooler. 

    I don’t remember a bottle of water ever tasting that good before.

    In most of North America, we take fresh drinking water for granted. Very seldom, and even then for no more than a couple of days, have I not had plenty of water to drink on demand.

    The people of the Middle East are accustomed to the experience of being thirsty. They are aware from personal experience how personal a commodity is.

    They know how refreshing a cold drink of water can be on a hot day.

    Two of the more common biblical metaphors for the love of God are water and living water.

    You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:1-3 ESV

    Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”  John 4:13-15 ESV

    The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17 ESV

    Remember a time when you were the hottest and thirstiest you have ever been. Now, picture the refreshment of a cold glass of water.

    That refreshment is nothing compared to the refreshment from the well of salvation. The Lord’s living water refreshes like nothing else ever will.

    Allow your thirst for love, forgiveness, and acceptance to be eternally satisfied by His living water.

    Drink deeply.

    Be Blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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  • First Day – Remembrances and anticipation

    blurry image of my first day of school c1963

    This is far from the clearest photo in the world, but here I am, ready for my first day of school. Yes, they had schools and even cameras back then. My mother took it out of the apartment building window.

    I’m looking pretty dapper in my little uniform and carrying my lunch bag. My companion was a slightly older friend who lived in the same building and attended the same school, but I don’t recall her name. I remember her nickname, but it wasn’t flattering.

    The school was on a military base in Germany, where my father was posted during his career in the Canadian Armed Forces. I have a few school memories but don’t remember the first day. I suspect that I was terrified.

    I might have been nervous about going to school for the first time, but the truth is I love learning. Other than a few years in high school, I have loved school. I have been upgrading my education since leaving high school.

    I love the first day of school. You get all new supplies, new classes, and meet new people. You also get exciting new syllabi (or syllabuses, if you prefer) to read. Yes, I read them because they tell you much about what to expect and are quite helpful.

    Even when I am not in school, I love to learn. I suppose I am a bit of a geek. When the instructor asked a question, I was often the annoying student who jumped up and down and said, “I know, I know.” I didn’t do that to show off. I wanted to share what I had learned, and my high school friends may never have seen that side of me.

    Every day is an opportunity to learn with the Lord. Our first day is the day of our conversion. We are born again and given a fresh start. We are babies in the faith.

    From there, every day is the next first day in our journey with the Lord, which will last forever—a new day to experience His mercy and learn about Him.

    The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

    A new day to walk afresh with Him.

    Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2 ESV

    I confess that I look forward to the most incredible first day of them all, after the day I became a Christian. On that day, I shall see my Lord and Savior face to face for the first time.

    Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 ESV

    They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4 ESV

    There are many books out there where people claim to have been to heaven and returned. Yet none I know of talks about meeting the Lord; it is always family and friends.

    Of course, I look forward to seeing my family and friends. Yet, first and foremost, I long to see the one who gave His life that I might live.

    He knew me before anything existed outside Himself. He loved me when I was an unlovable rebel and mocked Him. He is an even bigger fan than my mom, and that’s hard to beat.

    On my first day in glory, I will see His face. What a moment that will be.

    I look forward to seeing you there, but after I meet Him.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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