What Is Below the Surface?

When studying the deserts of Israel and how the Old Testament people my have lived, I learned that you can tell where the water will be by the vegetation. It might not look like a river bed right now because it is all dried up, but a few drops of water coming down from the mountains and you could have a flash flood on your hands. Most of the vegetation in the Negev are plants that live low to the ground, however, there are full size Acacia trees sprinkled throughout. How do these trees survive? How can there be full size trees in the desert?

Well, it turns out that the river beds flood regularly. These trees grow were the water is. They are trees planted by streams of water. They are evidence of the living water that lies below the surface. You know there is water simply by looking at them. No matter how dry the desert may look, these trees have strong roots and rely on the water they have stored for the days to come.

I know you see where I am going. I couldn't help but think about us and our relationship with Christ. That we have the living water of Christ in us that will sustain us even in the driest days. His water gives us the ability to stand strong even when it seems that we are surrounded by dry barren land. His word that we store within gives us strength when faced with troubles or times of want. We are able to thrive in hard times because of what we have collected below the surface.

Let me encourage you today to stand tall and give evidence of the living water within you. If you are in a time of plenty/peace/joy, begin storing up God's promises and memorizing verses of hope....as we all know that a time of want/struggle/pain will be approaching. If you are experiencing a low time right now, recall the endless ways God has already blessed you....the promises He has kept....and the struggles He has already brought you through. Allow the living water of Christ to well up inside of you and bring you peace!

I pray that God will give us all the strength to travel through the seasons of life and rely completely on His sustaining love and peace. May He help us to fill our store houses with His promises so that when the desert times seem to surround us we can take heart, knowing the desert looks dry and barren, but God has provided a way for us all to make it through and bring Him glory....we simply need to look below the surface!