river grace

"BE still,
there is a river...

that flows from Calvary's tree."



riv·er (rvr)
n.
1. Abbr. R. A large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.
2. A stream or abundant flow: a river of tears.

NOTICE: emptying.... fed along it's course....a stream, abundant flow.

do we find ourselves thinking sometimes that 2,000 years ago that tree was horribly and sadly and wonderfully drenched in blood and that's was it? to seal our salvation and free us. and it's done. in the past. a wonderful gift and sacrifice. in the past.

do we forget that a river of grace and mercy STILL flow from that tree?

i know i do.

but if you think of how a river works, it floods every little pebble and branch in it's path, an abundant flow, a stream of good fresh water...emptying into larger bodies of water, fed along it's course.

the Holy Spirit power that we were gifted with at the Cross from our God doesn't just stay stagnant in a pool many many years ago...it STILL flows and can and will flow if we tap into it...i love the visual from Tomlin's "I lift My Hands to Believe Again" with these river lyrics.

i was singing/yelling them in the car the other day and that one line touched my heart and reminded me of His faithfulness. He is not content to just let us see something happen in the past and let it be. He wants it to come alive in our hearts and in our lives. it is available in the most beautiful tributary, in the most wonderful stream image in this song. it flows from a torn up wounded man on a torn up bloody tree on a hill. for my salvation then yes, thankfully YES. but also to feed an aching heart now, that misses her heavened home daughter today. also to breathe life into a bitter heart or unforgiving flesh. also for the weary days that seem so far from Home. very much so for a troubled season of marriage or an unfruitful or estranged friendship. it seeks to rescue us in dark abyss of despair and depression, the days we don't even know why we feel so hopeless but grip for anything to numb our restless hearts. that same mercy reaches ALL the way from that tree on a hill and grabs us in the here and now and holds us, it gently corrects and disciplines us, it guides and directs us, it counsels and comforts and it restores, redeems and reconciles the ugliness of our flesh to be anything of an offering that pleases the Lord.....

yes, ultimately is was done to redeem us and restore us from the fall. salvation from death and sin and returning us back to our Father was the heartbeat. BUT we still have and MUST tap into that stream, the "streams of mercy, never ceasing" for daily living, for daily dying to self and loving our neighbor and forgiving daily, daily confession and repentance and humility. on our own, we run dry and have nothing to offer but a dry crusty angry parched heart. so we must remember that the river from the tree of Hope still flows and delivers the same saving power for our hearts, today...then and now.

it is ongoing. ever moving. ebbing and flowing. but it is active and alive and flowing freely.