This life can often seem like a valley. We find ourselves looking for satisfaction. Our souls long to be quenched. This is why Jesus Said, " If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink" (John 7:37). Even for those of us that know Jesus and have tasted the living waters, we can still find ourselves a little parched at times or even just wanting more of Him. He desires for us to be continually filled and even overflowing. Jesus continued to say, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” So why do we find ourselves feeling like we are in a valley of sorts sometimes, and how do we find water?
When your in a valley you basically have two options to find water. (You could just wait around and take a chance it will rain at some point, but God doesn't want us living on chance. He wants us living on purpose). You either have to climb the mountain to find a stream or dig down to find ground water. So, how do you know which one you should be searching for? It depends on the conditions of your valley.
The water that comes from above has to do with your relationship with the Spirit. The water that comes from beneath has to do with your relationship with your flesh. When man was created in the garden he was brought up and formed from the earth, but when God put His Spirit into him He hovered over Him and breasthed into him.
A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help. My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth
- Psalm 121:1-2
Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah
- Psalm 24:3-6
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
- Michael 4:2
When we find ourselves in a position of pure humility wanting more of Him it is time to climd. When we desire to learn more about and from Him it is time to climb. When want to genuinmely worship Him in His splendor it is time to climb. When we acknowledge our weakness and need of Him it is time to climb. When we are pursuing intimate and personal realationship with Him it is time to climb. When we want to see from His perscpective and see His plans and purposes it is time to climb.
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
- Mark 9:29
On the other hand, when we find ourselves thirsty and in a valley it can be the result of our fleshly desires getting in the way. In contrast to climbing the mountain in humility, we must dig out and through our flesh to uncover the living waters He has put inside of us. Jesus Said, "OUT OF him will flow rivers of living water". 2 Corinthians 3:17 says that the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. So, if you received the Spirit of the LORD when you gave your life to Him then there is freedom from everything already inside of you. You are a living breathing well of living waters that needs to be uncapped, but just as in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) there are many things in life that we get hindered by to keep us from growing and overflowing as God describes in Psalms 23:5. We must dig deep and overcome in able to overflow. In Romans 6 Paul explains how we are buried in Christ and then brought up into new life through Him. When we are digging our "wells" we are digging our graves. We are killing our flesh and carnal nature. When you dig a well you will find that your whole body is below ground level before you find water. In Romans 12 Paul also explains that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice because it is our reasonable service. Paul new that sacrificing the fleshly nature is an imperitive process to the spiritual life. So how do we dig our wells? We do it through prayer, fasting, and generosity. These three may seem as an over simplification of the process, but they are foundational in picking up your shovel. If the Holy Spirit is revealing areas of sins or hinderances that are keeping you in the valley it is time to dig.
It is important to know that once you dig your well, the enemy will try to fill it in. In Genesis 26 the Philistines became envious of Isaacs' prosperity and filled in the wells on his land. Isaac was then forced to move to a different region. Guar
d your heart. Once it is pure, keep it pure. It is much more enjoyable to hike a mountain than it is to dig a well. (The view is a lot nicer too).
In all your getting, get understanding. Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. He will direct your path. And, as described in Psalms 84:6, through you He willl turn every valley into a wellspring of life.
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