As we read the story of the early Church in Acts, we are seeing the fulfilment of Ezekiel’s vision of the great river of life (Ezekiel 47). In Ezekiel’s vision, the river begins as a small stream flowing from the temple and grows deeper and wider as it moves outward, eventually transforming barren land into fertile ground and even making the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh. This progression illustrates how the Spirit works: starting within the heart of the believer and then flowing outward to renew and restore the world. The Spirit does not remain static; He moves, expands, and brings vitality to everything he touches. So too in Acts we see the power of the Holy Spirit moving progressively outward: “Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That river is still flowing today; it is unstoppable. When great rivers flood, nothing can hinder their flow. Certain obstacles may seem untraversable, but as the river rises it flows around or over them if it does not wash them away. You can resist the Holy Spirit as many did in those early days of the Christian movement (Acts 7:51). That is a sad reality. And, if you do, you will become like a boulder that the river flows over or around stirring up turbulence in the process. But if you allow yourself to yield to the Spirit, to flow with him in one accord, then all that turbulence will turn to peace, and your cause will become unstoppable.
Ask God to help you yield fully to his will.
Read Ezekiel 47:1-12.
