The River Flows

I recently met an old friend. As we were catching up with our lives and reminiscing, he asked me something. "Hey you still playing your guitar thing in church ah? When you gonna 'retire' ah?" Though he asked me in a casual manner, he actually stunned me. His question made me reflect further on my service in church and is there a "retirement" in this service.

In my prayer time one day, I came upon this passage about the Samaritan Woman in John 4. And I reflected and meditated in that passage. In that passage, Jesus was at Samaria and he met a woman at a well where she came to draw water. He asked her for a drink but the woman hesitated to give him. (samaritan women were regarded as impure by the jews) And Jesus said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink, " you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Here, the woman totally misunderstood the meaning of living water. She thought it was water that was "flowing". Jesus understood her misconception and said to her, ".... whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman then yearned to have this living water but Jesus asked her to repent and worship the Father; for the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

And this 'flowing of water' passage struck me and made me realise why I was serving.

The water that the woman can offer or a non-worshipper can offer is the water that has to come from a vessel/bucket. As in you use the vessel or bucket to fill with water first. These people can only provide the water as long as they fill their bucket. And I was just thinking and reflecting. In my service to God, do I just want to keep filling a bucket to quench thirsts'? Or do I receive the living water from Jesus Christ that will build in me a well of spring water which will keep flowing and flowing. I realised that I cannot be a bucket that will run out of water. I have to be a true worshipper so that I can have the living water in me where I can quench thirsts. Quench thirsty people who seek and long for God. And this living water will not stop flowing as long as I am a worshipper. That means.... as long as I am a worshipper of God there is no "retirement". And I thank my friend(i shall not disclose him!! haha) for allowing me to reflect which made me realise of this living water in me that is sustaining me to serve as a true worshipper . Praise God.

I would like to share the chorus of a song which I have started to love from Matt Redman.

Chorus:
We will shine like the stars in the universe
Holding out Your truth in the darkest place
We'll be living for Your glory
Jesus we'll be living for Your glory
We will burn so bright with Your praise Oh God
And declare Your light to this broken world
We'll be living for Your glory
Jesus we'll be living for Your glory

- Matt Redman, Shine.

Yes Jesus, we'll Shine for you, I will Shine for YOU!

this is actually a long overdued post. looking forward to the next entry.

No.1