He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.—1John 7:38 (NKJV)

After packing our lunch, my husband and I drove to one of our favorite parks to picnic. A rustic table welcomed us to rest under a canopy of tall firs. The scent of cedar mixed with loamy soil teased our senses. Birds flitted from tree to tree, and a cheeky squirrel scampered along branches. It was an idyllic scene. 

When we’d finished our meal, we hiked to the banks of a nearby stream. I zipped my windbreaker against the chilled air and listened. The water rushed and gurgled like a thousand voices, lulling me to a place of peace. My fingers dipped into the water. 

Leonardo da Vinci’s thoughts on the movement of water came to mind: “When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.” As I listen to the rushing waters, I realize my river of life flows with constant change. The knowledge that this moment I have right now—this tiny unit of time—is all I have. I don’t live in what has gone by, though most of the memories are beautiful. The future is in Jesus’s hands. Like a tiny drop in a creek, I am swept by the current of an ever-changing world. 

But there is more than that for believers. My life reflects Jesus. His love flows from my heart like a river. Its course and depth change constantly as I listen to Him, but it will never run dry.

Faith Step: Sit by a stream, river, or another body of water and spend time with Jesus praying, but mostly listening.