Living water

Genesis 26:18-19 (ESV)

18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water.

There are times in our lives that we are going through a spiritual valley and we want to obtain victory -- we want to have answers -- we want God's power to flow through us again.

As we read Isaac found springing water after digging up the wells of his father Abraham again. In Hebrew, the phrase springing water is "mayim chayeem". It literally means "living waters".

The Lord promises us rivers of living water -- not a puddle, not a pond, not a lake -- He said rivers! These waters are not meant to be stagnant and not meant to be dammed up! They need to be flowing -- unrestricted!

We, who are believers in Jesus, have those living waters within us -- but we must clear out the obstacles in our lives that prevent them from flowing! Sins of unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, and clinging onto pet sins are just a few of the barriers which can damn up the "rivers" of living water! Let's seek the Lord and ask him to search us deeply and thoroughly that we know how to destroy those obstacles that clog the free movement of His Spirit in our lives!

Dear Lord, we pray that we would get rid of the obstacles in our life that are restricting the free movement of the Holy Spirit in our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Don’t expect “no obstacles

John 16:33  (ESV)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

In this world we will face all kinds of obstacles, trials and tribulations and we should be wary of any doctrines or teachings that say we shouldn’t have to face these things. Why? Because the Lord said we will have tribulations. So the encouragement He is giving is simply this: You’re going to face trials, but GOD is greater than any problem you will face in this world!

As problems present themselves, we should face them in the power of God and overcome them with Him -– because every problem is an opportunity to exhibit the love and power of God in our lives. And it’s often through these situations that the world gets our true testimony as believers in Him!

So, lift up your head, and don’t expect “no obstacles" in this life. Continue looking up, and be filled with His joy, because the Lord has already overcome this world and our problems, and we will experience that when we simply give them over to Him!

Dear Lord, we praise You that we can face the tribulations along the way because You already conquered them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Obstacles can vanish.

Psalm 111:10 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

    all those who practice it have a good understanding.

    His praise endures forever!

American President John Quincy Adams once said, "Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." It's true!

Look what happened once to a North Carolina church that wanted to purchase some property. The church regularly suffered from high tide flooding. But when the church was built over a hundred years ago, they couldn't afford better property.

They finally decided to relocate to higher ground. An ideal piece of property was empty - actually the highest ground in town. It belonged to a man named Sam. Officials from the church went to see Sam about selling the property. He politely told them it wasn't for sale; that he had other plans for the land.

The church looked elsewhere, but nothing satisfactory could be found. So they went back to Sam and made another offer. Again they were refused.

Then an unusual thing happened. One of the worst coastal floods in memory struck the town. As water rose, the church began to float. It left its coastal lot and started inward. It floated down the main street, turned a corner and eventually landed right on Sam's empty property.

Sam gave in. He allowed the building to stay and, if you ask the members of North Carolina's Swanquarter United Methodist Church how they came to acquire their land, they may relate what Sam said about the transaction: "I guess if the good Lord couldn't move me to give the land to the church, he would move the church to the land."

The member's persistence, combined with a little outside help, paid off. Persevere - you may by surprised at how your obstacles vanish!

Dear Lord, thank You that the obstacles that are around are no problem for You to overcome. Help us to trust You fully. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  

What obstacles have been placed in your life that need a miracle today?

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Does God do miracles in business? Is He concerned about the mountains we face in our work life? Does He want us to bring the everyday problems we face in the workplace to His attention? The answer to every one of these questions is yes. God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives.

Gunnar Olson, the Swedish founder of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce, tells a story about God performing a miracle in his own business a few years ago. He owns a plastics company in Sweden. They make huge plastic bags that are used to cover bales of hay in the farmlands across Europe. It was the harvest season and they were getting ready to ship thousands of pallets of these bags to their customers. More than 1,000 pallets were ready to ship when an alarming discovery was made. Every bag on the warehouse floor had sealed shut from top to bottom. Scientists declared the entire stock as worthless trash. Nothing could be done. The company would go out of business.

Gunnar, his wife, and children sought the Lord in prayer about this catastrophe. The Holy Spirit spoke through various family members. The wife said, "If God can turn water into wine, what are plastics?" The daughter said, "I don't believe this is from the Lord. We should stand against it." Gunnar sensed they were to trust God for a miracle in this situation. They began to pray. They took authority over this mountain of a problem based on Matthew 17, which gave them the authority to cast a mountain into the sea if faith only the size of a mustard seed could be exercised. The following Monday they went to the warehouse and laid hands on every pallet asking the Lord to restore the bags to their original condition. It took several hours. Later, the employees began to inspect the bags. As they inspected the bags, they discovered that every single bag had been restored to its original condition! An incredible miracle had taken place.

What obstacles have been placed in your life that need a miracle today?

Could God be setting the stage in your life for you to trust Him at new levels you've never trusted before? God sets the stage to allow His power to be revealed for those willing to exercise the faith of a mustard seed. All things are possible with God.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the obstacles that are in our life. Help us remember that You are there and can work a miracle through them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.