May 20 | Ezekiel 47: 1-12

Jenny Raber
4 days ago
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

Take Me To the River

By Jenny Raber

When I taught preschool, “We’re Going On a Bear Hunt” was one of my students’ favorite songs. With a repetitive chorus of “we can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, have to go through it,” the kids enjoyed acting out the ways to “get through” various obstacles. So when Ezekiel is led gently into a “river that no one could cross,” I was eager to see how he would get through it. Since open water stirs up vulnerability and fear in me, at times, it’s not a challenge I would like. But “…do you see this?” (v. 6) This river is different. This divine, supernatural flowing River of Life is not an obstacle. It is an intention and an invitation. It is not meant to cross. It is not meant to get through. It is meant to swim in, to float in, to drink in, to deeply immerse and submerge ourselves daily and forever.

Ezekiel’s vision of hope comes during a time of exile to a city in ruins in the midst of a desert. After feeling abandoned, estranged from God, and uncertain about the future, I imagine it difficult to believe in this Garden of Eden vision—promises of life, growth, and abundance. But Ezekiel’s vision provides us with a glimpse of what God promises us when we let go of our own control, vulnerabilities, and fears and wade into God’s enduring faithfulness and goodness. When we allow the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to flow through us during times of desolation, our hearts are filled, our thirst satisfied, and we are carried home to a fully restored kingdom.

Beginning with just a trickle from God’s temple, this river supernaturally grows deeper, gradually and intentionally, as it oozes away from the temple. First ankle-deep, then knee-deep, up to the waist, until it finally becomes a river that cannot be crossed. The constant flow and freshness of the water bring lush spiritual abundance to everything it touches.

Jesus invites us to “launch out into the deep.” (Luke 5:4, KJV) He guides us, hand-in-hand, from the safety of the shallow end into the deep, flowing river of living water. (John 7: 38). Restoration always starts with God. And while spiritual growth and maturity take time, we know that when we emerge, everything is changed! Like Ezekiel, we too will “be surprised by the sight of many trees grown on both sides of the river.” (v. 7, NLT) This is the sovereign, provisional, loving power of God!

How deep are you? Knee? Ankle? Waist? Completely submerged? Afraid to even go in? At different seasons in our lives, we may be at different depths. We may, at times, experience spiritual dryness or feel spiritually depleted. Like with Ezekiel, God meets us in our deserts with promises of gardens! When we feel abandoned, estranged, uncertain, we sink to our knees and cry out: “Take me to the river, drop me in the water!” (Talking Heads, 1978). We hold steadfastly to the truth that the flowing waters of this river is God’s faithful promise, where life with God is sustained. When we step in and submerge ourselves in the truth that Christ is our one true Savior, we find ourselves standing in God’s Garden of Eden—divinely sourced, providing healing, restoration, and complete fulfillment. Do you see this?

PRAYER

Heavenly, gracious Father, thank you for revealing your promises of fulfillment and restoration. Thank you for the River of Life with its healing waters. Thank you for the freedom to float in your love as we navigate our earthly challenges. We know that You provide for all. Let us pray Ephesians 3: 18-19 together so that we “may have power, together with all the Lords holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” In Your Heavenly Name, Amen!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEN RABER

I am so grateful for the loving and welcoming community at UALC. My husband and I, along with our three (now adult) children began attending Lytham Road services around 2009. And before that, well, I’ve just loved the Bible for about as long as I can remember. I am so thrilled to be a part of the Daily Devotional Writing Team.