Faithful on Fridays Blog

Water: Part Four

John carefully chose what to include in his gospel because he had an eye for the Spirit. The healing at the Pool of Bethesda is another example. This mysterious place, a natural spring bubbling up with folklore that if you entered first, after an angel stirred the water, you got healed. Jesus used this lower story to show that He’s the source of healing, He’s the spring of spiritual water: the upper story. Interestingly, Jesus chose a man asking if he wanted to be healed with no answer to the question, only that he’d been waiting 38 years, and was now hopeless. The Savior changed all that.

Compare that story with Naaman (2 Kings 5) who was instructed by the prophet Elisha to dip in the Jordan River and be healed of leprosy. He wanted healing, but didn’t like the prophet’s method. Eventually he complied, was cleansed, and made a declaration of faith. These stories have men with opposite attitudes, and yet both immersed in water receiving healing. 

The man at the pool was hopeless, disappointed, and frustrated not believing he could be healed. Naaman was prideful, angry, and rebellious, although wanting to be healed, refused to obey. Both got healed. John could see that Jesus doesn’t follow any pattern, blows away our ideas of the ‘why’ behind God’s miraculous healing powers extended to some, but not all. Clearly He’s the One who heals, who quenches the thirst of anyone who believes,

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him.)” John 7:37b-39a 

Jesus was attending the ritual water pouring, during the Feast of Tabernacles, confirming that His Spirit is the source of living water we need to walk in Kingdom Life. Chapter after chapter John reveals water experiences for us to ascend into spiritual thinking, not simply stay in the lower story. God supernaturally healed a rebellious man of leprosy in a river, a hopeless man at a mysterious pool, and lastly in Chapter 9 He chose a man born blind. How did he do it? 

Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! John 9:6-7 

Page after page I’m blown away by the Jesus stories showing that we can’t fit Him into any ‘box’ or method of showing His love and care for people; spit-mud must take the cake! 

I’m so thankful to the Apostle John for stretching our spiritual thinking, not letting us be satisfied with the lower story, but helping us find the Holy Spirit at work everywhere.

All my springs are in You. Ps. 87:7b

Psalm 119: Thirteenth Octave

Psalm 119 is like the ‘long and winding road’. We’re over halfway through and today we turn a corner. The last few octaves have been focused on suffering and enemy attacks but today the writer shifts to declaration. He has experienced success against his enemies and desires to give God recognition. As we travel our own roads in life, straight or curves, hills and valleys, stop, yield, or speed signs, to whom do we give the credit? Ourselves or God?

The Psalmist began this octave with a Hebrew word that translates ‘how‘ or ‘how much‘. He attributes his victory to God’s Word over enemy attacks. “How much I love your Word!” God’s law is His Word. It’s the map that we use to travel this road called life with all of its twists and turns. This man has realized that God’s Word works! It’s the best way because it functions as a GPS: God Positioning System. It tells us where we are and helps us navigate our destination. 

Let’s look at some of the writer’s revelations about God’s Word (vs. 98-102):

• It makes me wiser than my enemies. 

• I have more understanding than my teachers or even older people.

• It helps me veer away from evil and maintain a straight path.

• I receive power to remain on the right road.

This writer has experienced triumph over his enemies as he walked the difficult stretch of road called suffering. The good thing is he came to the end of that particular highway maintaining his integrity. That’s the way I want to navigate. When evil comes my way I desire to walk closely with God in my relationship with Him and stay in alignment with His Word. It’s not always a smooth path, it can be quite rocky, but I know that the Spirit of God gives me the power to complete the trip. 

The Psalmist experienced the sweetness of God’s Word (vs. 103) as he positioned himself in a place of humility. “God, I need you.” It’s as simple as that. Have you stopped at that place today? Where does your GPS place you? Have you veered off in a direction that brings no inner peace or joy? Do you feel far away from God due to this stretch of road? Has it become rocky with many unexpected turns or is it straight and easy right now? Either way, God’s Word will get you through and keep you prepared for any temptation or trial that appears. 

The writer completes this meditation with a comparison (vs. 104). He loves God’s Word with such passion that to turn away is like hatred to him. He has arrived at a straight stretch of road where he’s thinking clearly and realizing that God came through for him. That’s why he began this octave: I love God’s Word so much! 

I think the Beatles had it right in their famous song, The Long and Winding Road, it will always lead you to His door.

Water: Part Three

It’s endearing to me that out of love God designed a movable Tabernacle or tent for His people to be in His presence while traveling from Egypt to Israel. He knew it would be imperative for His people to meet with Him on their way back home. However, only the priests were allowed entrance since they had the responsibility of representing the people to God. Before entering the Holy Place they changed their clothes, and washed their hands and feet (Ex. 30:17-21) in a basin lined with mirrors. This lower story of a change of clothes and washing signified purity so they wouldn’t die as God repeated twice. It wasn’t the lower story, physical death, it was the upper story, spiritual death. 

Can you see the significance of the mirrors (Ex. 38:8)? This bowl of water reflected the sinful state of the priest, literally showing them, as they washed their body parts that served the people: hands and feet. 

Was John thinking of this ‘washing’ when he alone recounted Jesus washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper? The details are familiar. The Son of God changed His clothes, tied a clean towel around His waist, and systematically washed all of His apostles’ feet (John 13:1-17) from a basin filled with water. This wasn’t coincidence. This was John tying the Old Testament to the New for us. Jesus is our High Priest, He represented us to the Father, and now our sin is washed away. 

Water is constantly a prophetic picture of God providing all we need for salvation (rescue) as we continue with Moses’ miraculous story. He satisfied the peoples’ thirst in the desert by obeying God’s direction to strike a rock and receive water. Subsequently, John alone records Jesus stopping at Jacob’s well in Samaria (John 4) where He explained the lower and upper story to a woman there. She could only think of physical water to quench her natural thirst, but Jesus directed her thinking to the upper story of spiritual water.

 “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13-14

It brings to mind the Old Testament promises to us:

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3 

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, Is. 55:1a

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. Psalms 84:6

Will we respond to His call?

“O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 

Psalm 119: Twelfth Octave

“How can the past and future be, when the past no longer is, and the future is not yet? As for the present, if it were always present and never moved on to become the past, it would not be time, but eternity.”

That quote from Augustine, Christian philosopher and theologian, was written in the fourth century, yet we are still trying to understand the concept of time. The Psalmist of 119:89-96 began this octave with a declaration of God’s word being eternal, perpetual, and continuing. We have a beginning; God does not. We understand life within the framework of time; God does not. He’s outside of time. Hard to understand? Yes, but true, nonetheless.

Before time began God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit had a heavenly dialogue and established a Kingdom plan (Matt. 25:31-34; John 5:37-40, 17:4, 24). 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 

The Father revealed detail of this plan to the Son; read this excerpt from their conversation:

The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at My right hand until I humble Your enemies, making them a footstool under Your feet.” Psalms 110:1 

That plan was developed outside of time, firmly settled in heaven, and nothing can change or alter it. The Psalmist is confident of that faithful truth for all generations and relates, in these verses, that this knowledge got him through his suffering. It’s designed to do the same thing for you. If you make His Word your delight (vs. 92), not a task, it will take you through any trial of life. 

… the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God —His plan that was previously hidden, even though He made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 1 Corinthians 2:7 

Make no mistake, the Psalmist never forgot what his responsibilities were (precepts) and made them his focus. Our relationship with God, first of all, needs to be cultivated with conversation, prayer, and His Word sown in our hearts. Secondly, involvement in the local church is a vital component to our servant-attitudes because Christ loves and died for her (Eph. 5:25, 32) and that brings us into resurrection life: kingdom living.

As we follow this author’s line of thinking (vs. 93-95) it’s apparent that remembering what God has done for you in the past will get you through your present and even into your future. We’re time-constrained, limited in our thinking of the future but He’s not and His repeated actions for you (testimonies) show His sovereignty and divine love.

I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]. Psalm 119:96 AMP

Water: Part Two

Focusing on one topic in Scripture is fascinating, uncovering details you never saw before, that’s what makes the Bible alive (Heb. 4:12). Take Moses, for example. His mother saved him from a brutal Egyptian murder by placing her infant in a basket on the Nile River. Using water, God brought protection, deliverance, and destiny. However, God wasn’t finished with Moses; he was the chosen deliverer of His people. After finding a wife at a well, yes, another spousal well-experience, God used water as punishment when Pharaoh refused to release His people from slavery: the first plague was turning Egypt’s entire water supply into blood-pollution. Take away water and you take away life.

Not only those divine ‘water appointments’ but Moses and the people experienced a miraculous deliverance from bondage as God divided the waters of the Red Sea. Similar to creation, dividing waters, He protected His people using water to form a wall as they walked through on dry ground (Ex. 14). The Song of Moses celebrates God’s sovereignty over creation,

 And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.” Exodus 15:21 

Since water is necessary for life, without any, you can get cranky. Only three days after their miraculous delivery, God’s people complained to Moses and he interceded for them. A place of bitter water was miraculously transformed into sweet water; God provided for their every need as He led them to a place of twelve springs (Ex. 17). He often gives us more than we need because He’s a good Father. It was such a blessing that the people rejoiced and sang,

“Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises! Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs.” Numbers 21:17-18

Those lower stories of God using water can create the upper story faith we need to believe that God will also provide for our needs, and then some. John understood that truth and alone recorded a wedding story when Jesus miraculously turned water into wine (John 2). Another ‘third day’ miracle when Jesus points us to the upper story: there’s a wedding coming when our divine Bridegroom unites with His Bride and the spiritual wine will never be depleted. He used the ritual waters of purification in water pots to manifest His glory by showing us that He spiritually purifies us and saves the ‘best wine’ for last.

Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Revelation 19:7, 9

Water for protection, water for punishment … bitter to sweet, water to wine, God’s got you covered.

Psalm 119: Eleventh Octave

If you lived through the sixties, you may remember the folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary. This influential trio sang of the socio/political issues in American culture. Their music helped awaken our nation to unity, freedom, and social justice through peaceful protests and music that has influenced several generations. Paul Stookey, from this trio, was a believer in Jesus Christ, who undoubtedly experienced many ups and downs in his life as reflected in their song, All My Trials. These verses from Psalm 119:81-88 reflect that theme.

The Hebrew word that begins this octave means intense longing, desiring, even to the point of pain, for the salvation of the LORD. Interestingly, this word salvation is yeshua, the Hebrew word for Jesus. The Psalmist is faint from his trials in life and has only one hope: God’s Word. Those promises remind him not to allow the trials of life to bring hopelessness.

“When will you comfort me?” That’s his question in verse 82, however, the word comfort is not the ‘gentle arm around your shoulder’ comfort; it’s the cry of the heart that screams, “God, when are you going to stop this?!” He feels dry and lifeless, like a wineskin that’s shriveled from the heat or smoke of a fire, and is attempting to just get through the day. The one thing that keeps him going in the midst of his anguish is the constant hope of God’s promises and His daily direction of what he should do (meaning of statutes). He depends on God.

What kind of suffering and trials are you enduring today? A painful past, children who are suffering, a bad marriage, physical illness, or death of a loved one? Your circumstances are allowed by God for good reason: they’re a pathway, as this eleventh octave shows us, to greater intimacy with Jesus. 

In the midst of his suffering, Paul longed for something:

… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, Philippians 3:10 

What was Paul’s final goal in life? I think it was to experience suffering in this life with the attitude that when we die to ourselves we are in the position of resurrection. Trials are temporary; they have a beginning and an end. God isn’t going to spare us from all suffering in life; He’s going to bring us through in victory. Being in position to grow in faith, learning to totally rely on Him is a good position to be in. 

Paul quotes Jesus only one time in scripture. Here it is:

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  2 Corinthians 12:8-9 

In the midst of suffering and weakness we can depend on His grace.

Water: Part One

What’s the craze these days with water? People are paying a fortune for water bottles? Stanley, Hydroflask, Yeti, even Hydrogen bottles? When did water become such a commodity?

First of all, when God created Earth it was in preparation for His masterpiece: humanity. He separated the heavenly mist from the ocean water with a plan in mind: recycling. Knowing our bodies needed to be constantly replenished, our food supply of plants and animals needing consistent water, He created the ‘water cycle’. That’s His recycling plan: precipitation, evaporation, and condensation. Water gives life.

Of course, the entrance of sin into our perfectly planned creation changed everything. However, God wasn’t caught off guard; He had a plan using water to start over again with a man named Noah, an ark, and a flood. Water can also destroy life. 

The Apostle John had this uncanny ability to hone into the Jesus Story unlike anyone else. After giving the upper story of light in the first few verses of Chapter 1, he continued with the account of John the Baptizer. The religious leaders asked, “Who are you?” His response? He’s the one sent before the Messiah, Christ to ‘baptize with water’ which phrase, by the way, he said three times. Why did he repeat it? Maybe because he specifically said the Messiah will baptize, but not with water, with the Holy Spirit … there it is. Water is a lower story, the physical picture, pointing us to the upper story, the heavenly reality: the Spirit is our vital necessity to live, like water, He gives us life.

Another aspect of water in the Bible is provision; out of love and care, God always provides for our needs, physical and spiritual. Take the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who dug and redug wells to provide water for their families and animals to live. What’s interesting is what happened at those wells. Beginning in Gen. 16 and 21 we find the stories of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. After being treated harshly by Sarah, the servant Hagar was met twice by God at a well in the desert and promised innumerable offspring: the Arabs. 

Isaac’s servant also had a ‘well experience’ when God provided a bride for his master; through a divine appointment he met Rebekah at a well (Gen. 24). Again, Jacob met his beloved wife Rachel at a well (Gen. 29): a place of provision. God’s point was clear, from the lower story of creation, to digging and redigging wells, God was the ultimate Provider. 

John inherently knew Jesus’ experience at Jacob’s well (John 4) was vital; he connected that lower story to the upper story quoting Jesus,

 The water that I give will become in him a ‘spring of water welling up to eternal life’. John 4:14b

Why are people crazed about water these days? Could it be there’s another spiritual awakening ready to well up with living water? 

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 

Psalm 119: Tenth Octave

You may have heard the phrase ‘chink in one’s armor’ used to describe a weak or vulnerable area of our life; that’s true for Christians and non-Christians alike. The armor of God is a metaphor to help us understand that we need God in all areas of our life. When we’re not listening and obeying Him there will eventually be a chink in our armor that opens the door to our mutual enemy, Satan. Open your Bible to Psalm 119:73-80.

The writer of this tenth octave acknowledged God as the One who knows him and formed him with His own hand. Our personalities and body types are not random, they are chosen, gifts from God. He knows our strengths and weaknesses and understands us better than we do ourselves. The Hebrew word focused for us today is yad: hand. 

The writer of Psalm 139 understood the metaphor of God’s hand:

… even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 

Psalm 139:10 

The Psalmist desired to know what God’s commission or assignment is (vs. 73-74), His revealed will, then consequently, others will observe him and rejoice. Revealed will? That’s when God clearly directs you in life with His will, assignment and timing. Christians can easily find ministry opportunities and step into them because they detect a need. Paul had that experience (Acts 16:6), however, the Holy Spirt literally blocked his way because his is timing was off. When we misread the signs God gives us for ministry or get ahead of Him there are often consequences. 

Verses 75-78 show us that God will discipline or correct us in various ways getting our attention. Satan is watching and uses many methods to come against us when he senses a chink in our armor. Lies, mockery, or shame are listed in these verses but always remember that God has His own ways of slowing us down and causing us to focus on Him and His revealed will. Not every need in the Church is your responsibility, that’s why we’re described as a body with many parts working harmoniously in teamwork.

In the midst of God’s faithful correction the writer tells us that His love, comfort, and mercy will sustain us. Meditating and praying on God’s commission, from among the opportunities available, is our first assignment. We want our hearts to be blameless (vs. 80) as we go about His business in ministry. 

When we’re in the center of God’s will there’s peace, joy, and happiness. If you’re not experiencing that kind of fruit then you may need a course correction. If people aren’t observing fruit in your ministry then maybe you’ve taken on too much, gotten ahead of God, or are mistaken about your choices. As we mature in hearing from God, as Paul did, we know when we’ve heard His voice and direction not being lured by the voice of a stranger (John 10:5). Step back, reevaluate, and pray.

Light: Part Five

Finding an upper story from a lower story is not an easy task, but it helps when someone highlights various Scriptures together allowing the Spirit to reveal what you need to know. I’ve tried to do that for you. Recall that natural or physical light is an illustration given to help us ‘see’ what’s hidden in The Word finding Jesus every time. Remember, He’s the ‘true light’ that came into the world giving revelation of God to everyone (John 1:9) … if they’re willing to receive it.

Spiritual light comes only from the Holy Spirit giving you insight into your situation or circumstances when you need help. That light guides your way protecting you from making a wrong turn, a wrong choice, or a wrong decision. 

Prophetic light was often given as promises that The Light, the True Light, would appear and open the door for anyone, Jew or Gentile, to receive the light of salvation. A Savior, Redeemer, and Rescuer was coming and God’s people were to watch for Him.

Apocalyptic (end times) Light is that final, paramount light that shows Jesus, with ‘His face shining in full strength’ (Rev. 1:16b) when He returns in glory-light, sparkling splendor to live with us forever in the new Kingdom of God. It’s back to ruling and reigning with God in Eden (Rev. 21:23-26). We’ll complete the circle of time with God’s glory giving us all the physical light we need: no need for the sun or moon because there’ll be no day or night. 

Jesus had a discussion with Pilate about the renewed Kingdom of God that John recorded in chapter 18:33-38. Pilate asked if He was the King of the Jews and Jesus answered that His kingdom wasn’t of this world, but His purpose in coming was to shine a light, so to speak, on this future Kingdom where He’ll rule and reign with believers alongside Him. John echoed the truths of Paul when he reminded us that we are now, a kingdom of priests (Rev. 1:5), reigning like kings (2 Tim. 2:11), and now spiritually seated beside Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6): a foretaste of our future. 

The Light of the World, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will be this parade of lights illuminating the world when He comes back for us: His Second Coming. It’ll be a light show unlike anything you could imagine, when He is revealed and appears in His physical body, as the crucified and risen Christ, and every last promise is fulfilled.  

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising … for the Lord will be your everlasting light.

Is. 60:1, 3, 20b

Psalm 119: Ninth Octave

“How was your day? Good. Everything went well? Yep, things turned out great, nothing unexpected.” Sound familiar?  We often view our life according to our present circumstances, however, what if your day didn’t turn out so good? What if there were unexpected turns, even disasters, that you encountered? Would you continue to call it good? Interestingly creation, including mankind who would rebel, was called very good by God. He didn’t look at the present circumstances to determine goodness; He knew the big picture. He knew that eventually creation would return to good. That’s the idea of the ninth octave (vs. 65-72): good. 

The Psalmist uses this word good, tov in Hebrew, six times and in various ways. Tov can mean beneficial, well, favorable, or right. He began by declaring that God showed him grace in his life as His Word promised and as he walked with Him. He desired to continue that walk yet remembered when things weren’t so good. This writer, like many of us, walked away from God for a time but return only to recognize an important attribute of God: 

You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. Psalms 119:68 

Don’t we all have times in our lives when we made wrong choices and suffered the consequences? Out of fatherly love God allowed suffering and sometimes correction to enter into our good lives. Jacob’s son Joseph understood suffering (Gen. 37-50), but as he reflected on his brother’s betrayal he said this:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 

Job also reflected on his suffering as he responded to his not-so-good wife:

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10 

Our perspective on suffering often determines the depth of our walk with God. This Psalmist believed that the suffering he endured was beneficial to him. Can we agree with that and declare these promises in the midst of our suffering or discipline? 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8a 

… no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11b 

Let’s remember this week, as this section of Psalm 119 reminds us, that it is good when God teaches us, whether it’s through pain and suffering, trials and tests, or simply His hand of correction. His thoughts about us are always good, never forget that, and His instruction more valuable and precious (vs. 72 is the highest form of good) than silver or gold.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 

Good by Cody Carnes