Wednesday, June 25
- Scripture: Revelation 22:1–2 – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of the great street of the city.”
- Reflection: Renewal is a cycle. We live it in the dailiness of how our own body replenishes certain cells. We experience lt in the phases of the moon, in the rhythm of tides, the wheeling of the planet through the solar system, the rising and setting of the sun each day. We understand it in the cycle of how water flows from its source, plunges toward the ocean, evaporates, comes back as rain and snow, and runs through that cycle again and again.
Likewise, our minds, hearts, and spirits regenerate over time. We age and grow, ideally, deeper in capacity to hold and explore questions, uncertainties, conundrums, and new ideas and feelings and relationships. We are emptied out, opened up, so that we might hold and share new experiences and understandings and connections.
Consider the image above, depicted as rivers flowing out from one holy wellspring, to be a promise of the continuous presence of God. Water, as we know, is essential to survival. Survival experts, such as wilderness guides, often offer the “rule of 3” which says that a person can live for 3 minutes without air (oxygen), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Of course, a river becomes a metaphor for the holy presence of God, constantly flowing.
Holy love is also essential. And the image of the river, flowing from its spring, constantly filling our souls, renewing our energy and sense of connection, is a promise. We will find water wherever we go.
We may turn away from God’s presence, as humans do. This pattern is echoed in every Biblical story. It begins as the journey of leaving the garden or a safe place like home, then traveling outward. Wanderers and explorers (every human is represented in this narrative arc) spend time making mistakes, meeting guides, building community, discovering their own identity, and learning and growing along the way. People eventually return home again or arrive at their alternate destination. In such stories, in the Bible, love is both waiting patiently and vigilantly for us to return again, and wandering out on the road with us, accompanying us.
God’s love sustains us throughout these journeys, as life-giving water from a perennial spring, nourishing us without ceasing. We can find such love, such water, in one form or another, wherever we go. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Find a source of water. Maybe a sip of cold water. Maybe water you pour out on your plants or refresh for a pet. Maybe running water into which you step, getting your feet wait, or into which you plunge your hands, letting them feel the rush of water over them. Maybe you immerse yourself in a bath or shower, or dive into a pool. Maybe you spend time on a boat. Maybe you wade into the surf. Pause and give thanks and your connect this symbol of God;s life-giving presence with how you feel when you are touched by water, or take it into yourself.
Song:
- River by Myles Smith: https://youtu.be/ki3gN751CLc?si=VpxPHTPml3XIKMve
- River Wild by Hillsong Worship: https://youtu.be/LiK9S8iq4ek?si=RrLKeeteIxCJjE2P
- Come to the River of Life by Hillsong Worship: https://youtu.be/od1izZsK6oo?si=aCsCmuC4-Bz1_hzR
- Come to the Water by John Foley: https://youtu.be/huERPUnO-bo?si=CBjBl1I9WLCCksey
Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. — Lao Tzu
We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.— Jacques Yves Cousteau
June 25 Daily Devotional