A
Well –Watered Garden
The
Lord gave the church a promise from Isaiah 58:11
“You shall be like a well-watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do
not fail.”
The
essence of that prophetic word is that
this water of blessing would be upon us to such an extent that the run-off from
the garden would be streams that would flow out to touch others. The water is a biblical type (a prophetic
illustration) of the Holy Spirits’ ministry in and through us. God’s
great blessing is that we would become channels, conduits, of His blessings—not
just into
us or for us, but also through us to bless others.
We’ve
seen God wonderfully prove Himself in our midst. In an
earlier example, when Solomon finished building the temple in ancient Jerusalem,
we find one of those exemplary prayers of the Bible. It established a pattern that holds true for
us even to this day. By God’s gift of
wisdom, Solomon established the nation’s priorities for spiritual health and
well-being. As you read His prayer,
found in 1 Kings 8:22-61, note how the following aspects also pertain to our
corporate life as an assembly:
His
Posture. . . was
of submission and humility (verses 22 and 54); because this is the only honest
response to our Lord.
His
Possession. . . was
God’s promises (verses 23 to 25); because God’s Word is purely right and
eternally relevant.
His
Passion. . . was
for God’s glory (verses 23 &27);
because only He is worthy of continual worship and thanksgiving.
His
Petitions. . . were
for the forgiveness and restoration that only God can bring (verses 30-53);
because, after having
that posture,
possession and passion, we are then able to see the fathomless repulsiveness of
our sins and the even larger liberality of His grace towards us.
May the
Lord find in our heart, this echo of Solomon’s Prayer, O
Lord my God…May Your eyes be open toward this house night and day, even toward
the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there. . . may You hear the
prayer that Your servant makes.’
Terry Risser
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright 2014 – Terry Risser
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