We have been reflecting on Ezekiel’s vision of the River of Life (Ezekiel 47) as a picture of the way the presence of God by the Holy Spirit is flowing out into all the earth. Jesus spoke about baptising us in/with the Holy Spirit. ‘Baptise’ is a Greek word which literally means immerse. So, Jesus wants us to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. He wants us to be like sponges which float in and absorb the water. If you throw a dry sponge in a river, it will float on top of the water for a time (if the wind doesn’t blow it away). But gradually it will draw in the water and, as it does, it becomes one with the river. It becomes heavy with water, it can’t be blown away, and yet it floats weightlessly. This is a good description of the effect of the Holy Spirit. As we are filled with the Spirit we bear the weight of divine glory in increasing measure. And yet we also become weightless because our lives become one with God. This is a picture of complete surrender and perfect freedom. It is also a state of perfect peace because we are always carried by the river of God. The river may flow through difficult places, there may be rapids, but, if we remain in the river, we will flow through to the other side. Give yourself completely to God; surrender yourself to the flow of the mighty river of his purpose. Don’t dig your feet in and resist the flow, that only creates tension and turbulence.
Surrender yourself to God and ask him to fill you with his Spirit.
Read Acts 1:5, 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Romans 12:1-2.
