The short answer is that although it has water flowing into it, there is no outflow - it arrives, but it never goes anywhere. It is STANDING STILL and therefore stagnates. Which is to go stale. LIFE does not live in stale, stagnant water.
What about you? Are you going somewhere? Are you living a life that is full of adventure and learning and growth?
I was reading about the Israelites the other day, and how it was in their hearts and lives as they journeyed from Egypt. In their hearts, there were some who never really left Egypt. They were so fearful of every new experience they never fully embraced the journey God was taking them on. They allowed fear to control their every action and as a result, they were paralyzed. In essence, they became like the Dead Sea.
Stale, stagnant and without LIFE. They were going nowhere. Sure, their bodies were moving with the rest of the crowd, but because they were paralyzed in their hearts they had no JOY. They weren't truly living the journey God had called them to.
There was more! God had called them not only to begin a journey, but He had a plan and a purpose and a destination for those who would obey Him.
It is the same with us. The Lord God has a plan, purpose and a destination for the journey of our lives. It begins when we, like the Israelites He delivered from Egypt, choose to obey Him and CROSSOVER the Jordan River to the Promised Land. Trusting God. Choosing to follow where He would lead them and experience the fullness of joy and learning and growing and abundant life that He was offering.
When we confess our sin and repent and ask forgiveness, and invite Jesus to live in our hearts and be our Lord and Savior, we too CROSSOVER into a promise. The promise of LIFE MORE ABUNDANT now (John 10:10) and the promise of ETERNAL LIFE.
But there is more than the first step of this journey. Once the Israelites crossed over the Jordan into the promised land they were to CONQUER the land. Simply crossing the Jordan was but one step of the journey! The promise was for a life that was abundant with the blessing and joy of the Lord with HOPE for the future.
We too are to CONQUER temptation and through obedience to Gods commands, be transformed into the new creations in Christ He planned for us to be and LIVE abundant lives that glorify His name.
As we CONTINUE in obedience on a daily, often moment by moment basis, we discover that in Christ Jesus our victory is complete and we not only are blessed, but we are now a BLESSING to others as well.
CROSSOVER from sin bondage to freedom in Christ. CONQUER your fear and failings through the JOY of the Lord that is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) CONTINUE in obedience to the Lord your God and receive victory of abundant life now and eternally.
The bible is full of the instruction necessary to make your journey one of success. In our Daily Reading right now the Proverbs are highlighted. The wisdom contained in this section of Gods Word is an excellent place to learn and gain insight, It really doesn't matter where you are when you start. What matters is that you are on the journey, moving forward and growing in the Lord.
Also part of the Daily Reading at this time is Deuteronomy. It is helpful to us to see how God instructed the Israelites in the Old Testament, to gain wisdom and understanding for the spiritual aspect of our journey. Though we are no longer under the law, we gain insight as we see how the physical obedience translates to what we experience spiritually.
The third section of Daily Reading at this time is found in Corinthians. Here we get a first hand view of how the First Century Church struggled to walk in obedience. I pray it will encourage you as it encourages me, to be reminded that every believer must learn to overcome the flesh, submit to God and the process of growth that is our journey for this life.
We, being born again of Gods spirit, have HOPE for now and for the future. We are not lost, for God Himself has provided guidance. We are not wandering aimlessly without purpose, for the Lord has provided purpose and leads us to our ETERNAL destination.
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