Swimming In The River Series

SWIMMING IN GOD’S RIVER

By : Ng Wah Lok

Text: Eze 47:1-12

Introduction

Ezek 47:1- Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.

NKJV

This passage is a prophetic picture of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the last days. The gates of the temple were located in the east. God’s river is flowing from His throne to people all over the world. Since 1900, we see a greater intensity of the Holy Spirit.

Our experience with the Holy Spirit depends very much on how much we want the Holy Spirit to control our lives.

This passage shows us 4 levels we can experience the Holy Spirit.

a) Ankle depth – V3

“..he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.” V3

Ankles or the feet are where the whole body stands on. It speaks of our foundation. God wants to rebuild the foundation of faith.

Heb 6:1 “ …not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God”

Illustration: Ankles – Achilles tendon

Our Achilles tendon is located at our ankles. If our Achilles tendon is damaged, we cannot walk for almost 6 months. Similarly, we become very vulnerable to the Devil’s attacks when our foundation is weak.

b) Knee depth – V4

“Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees” – V4

Knees are the joints that cause us to run. If you damage your knees, you will have very little movement of your legs. You can barely move your legs.

God wants us to surrender the running of our life to Him. He wants us to run on the “knees of prayer”. When we are on our knees, it is a sign of our surrender to God.

Our faith must be strengthen by prayer.

c) Waist depth – V4

“ And he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist” V4

At the waist level in a flowing river, we are beginning to lose control of our movement in the water. We cannot run anymore at waist level. God wants us to let go of our strength and the control of our lives to Him.

Eg Jacob lost his natural strength when God touched his hip joint. He later surrendered to God and changed his name. From that experience, he became a new person because he surrendered his strengths to God.

Eg. Man’s inability to cure diseases

The waist (loins) is the area where all our reproductive organs are located. When we surrender our lives to God, He will bring fruitfulness to our lives. Fruitfulness will come together with truth and righteousness in our lives.

Eph 6:14 “ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast plate of righteousness”

There is a danger when we do not produce fruits. Eg Jesus cursed the fig tree.

Mt 21:19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves and said to it “Let no fruit grow on you ever again”. And immediately the fig tree withered away.

A Christian must produce fruits. When we experience the Holy Spirit to our waist depth, we become productive and fruitful.

“You shall know them by their fruits”

Loins speak of passion. God wants our passion to be directed not towards the opposite sex but towards Him and what He is doing in these last days. Many lack the passion for God.

d) Swimming depth – v5

“And again, he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not crossed; for the river was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed” – v5

At the swimming depth, our feet cannot touch the ground We have very little control of our body. At fast currents in the river, the current carry us along the river.

God wants full control and navigation rights of our life.

The river is deepest and the current is fastest at the centre. We need to be in the centre of God’s will before we can experience the fullness of the river of God.

Some people do not want to surrender fully to God’s will for our lives. We still fear that God will not provide for us. If we are like this, we will never experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

At the swimming depth, the river takes us wherever the river flows. The river controls us. We do not control the Holy Spirit. It is a picture of a Christian yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion.

Are you at ankle depth, knee depth , waist depth or are you swimming in the river of God ?