I have always been amazed by the power of the ocean, the strength of a flowing river, and the majestic peace of a lake. I lived in Lake Tahoe, California, for many years. I consider it one of the wonders of the world. I always feel great peace and contentment each time I look out upon its vast beauty. When I saw it for the first time, I was overwhelmed by how magnificent it was surrounded by majestic mountains that towered over it. What continues to astound me to this day is how unfathomable its beauty is in a world that is under the curse of sin (Gen 3:17). It is incomprehensible to me how beautiful it will be when the curse is finally lifted.
I remember singing a song titled "At the River" in church when I was a young Christian that stuck with me ever since. It was written by Robert Lowry in 1864 and is still found in Hymnals today. Each time I would look out upon a river I would start to sing the chorus refrain:
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.
One night in a dream, I heard the voice of the Lord say to me, "I don't want you standing BY the river; I want you IN the river!" I was a bit taken back, which led me to start a study of the word 'river' in the Scriptures.
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14 ESV). Jesus also said that "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:38 ESV).
As I studied, I began to understand that the Anointing of God is living water that runs in the river of life, which emanates from His throne. It never stops flowing and is available by His grace to enable and empower every Born-Again Christian to draw from it to heal, deliver, impart, teach, equip, and accomplish His good pleasure.
While I was contemplating the spiritual significance of what I was learning about the River, I fell asleep and had a dream that I was actually IN the river and no longer standing on the shore as a bystander. That was exhilarating to me. Then, not too long afterward, I had another dream that I was ON the River, and this time I was doing the 'Snoopy dance" in uninhibited joy!
In each dream, God was reminding me of the simple truth that the Born-Again Christian doesn't have to struggle, or work hard, or force the river of God's anointing to flow - it happens naturally as they are nourished to grow by reading and studying the Bible daily and spending time in intimate prayer with their Creator as they learn to live naturally in His love.
The anointing of God is the "the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev 22:1–2 ESV). The "water of life" flowing from the throne symbolizes the crystal clear water of eternal life that flows from Him to His people and reflects His incomprehensible glory that is never-ending, and which causes the angels to cry "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty…" forever and ever in an endless crescendo of ecstatic joy and ecstasy.
"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High." (Ps 46:4 ESV)
Water is a common symbol of eternal life in the Bible. The Prophet Isaiah refers to drawing water from the "wells of salvation" with joy (Isa 12:3). Zechariah said, "On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter" (Zech 14:8 ESV). Ezekiel said, "And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes" (Ez 47:9 ESV).
Jesus encouraged the Samaritan woman He met at the well to take from Him the water of (eternal) life so that she would never thirst again spiritually (John 4:13-14). Jesus said that those who receive Him will have streams of living water flowing from them (John 7:38).
John, the beloved said, "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev 7:17 ESV). He also said that an "angel showed” him “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 7:17, 22:1 ESV).
God invites “everyone who thirsts” to “come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" and “let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price" (Isa 55:1; Rev 22:17 ESV).
Just as food and water are necessary to sustain physical life, Jesus is both the bread of life and the source of living water that is necessary to sustain the strength and power to move in the daily anointing of God (John 6:35).
The daily anointing that is available to every Born-Again Christian comes only from the Holy Spirit, who gives the power that is constantly flowing forward and never stagnant. No one can stand still against the strong flow of the water of life around them. There will always be fresh discoveries of truth and opportunities to fulfill the Great Commandment every day and to share the message of God's love with everyone they meet.
Every person who drinks of the "river of God" by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior receive immortality and love (Ps 65:9). Every drop contains everlasting life.
The life of the Born-Again Christian can never be stagnant in the river of God. There is no need for an occasional 'revival' as the blessings and anointing of God are constantly flowing to empower and wash them daily through the Word (Eph 5:26).
The River proceeds from the throne of Jesus, who created all things and sustains the universe with His Word (Heb 1:3; Col 1:17). It is always active and never finished because the love of God is continually overflowing.
"…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Eph 5:25b-27 ESV)
It is an endless transcendental river of grace that is always bright and "clear as crystal" as it flows from the throne of the "the bright and morning star" over and around the Born-Again Christian, purifying, cleansing, refreshing, nourishing, beautifying, and strengthening them (Rev 22:16). It invigorates and gives them a vitality to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (Matt 22:37-39).
The Holy Spirit produces the spiritual fruit of "love" in the Born-Again Christian and nourishes it to grow and bloom as "joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal 5:22-23 ESV). The River of God cannot be stopped. It is a flood of God's power to cleanse the world. It is a pure river that no human or spiritual enemy can contaminate, contain, or control.
I am convinced that every Born-Again Christian must step out into the water of the River of life, continually focusing their trust on Jesus as they surrender to its strong current and not try to swim against it. As they begin to move into deeper and deeper depths, they will learn to flow naturally in the anointing of God until they find themselves lost in the love of Jesus, longing for nothing else, and no one else, but Him alone. It is only the anointing the river of life brings that satisfies the longings of the heart.
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands." (Ps 63:1-4 ESV).
