July 30, 2021

Read:  Romans 1:1-17

“He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:38 

The apostle Paul still lives for all who read his epistles. His vision, sense of purpose, spirit, attitude, and dedication are one with the divine stream that flows from the throne of God. He was a source of truth to those who have followed him down through the centuries. We can be the same kind of conduit as Paul, unless we have problems at the source.   

At our former home in the mountains, the water source was a spring high on the hill above the house. This spring provided water to four homes and a concrete business.   

The source was an inconspicuous little box out of which flowed a constant stream of clear water. An underground pipe carried the water from the source down the mountain to a large tank buried in the mountainside. From there pipes carried the water to its destinations. The little box at the source was covered, but occasionally a leaf or stick would restrict the flow. 

If this happened, we could have stood all day, looking at the dribble of water coming into the tank, and wished more would come. We could have measured the flow and calculated the gallons per minute coming in, but that would not have changed the amount of water in the tank. To improve the flow, we had to trudge 200 yards up the path to the source. That source had to be maintained.   

We can be a source and an outlet for the stream of water from God. If we will provide a constant flow to other folks, we must make the source a high priority and keep it clear of any obstructing sin. Then our tank will never run dry, and “rivers of living water” will fill and bless the “tanks” downhill from us.

~ James Baer