Journey 7-17-12

He opened the rock, and water flowed, so the river ran in the dry places. —–  Psalm 105:41 (NRSV)

I am sitting here listening to the rain on the metal roof of the trailer.  It reverberates, each drop of water a note in the symphony of the storm.  The tree frog on the window joins the chorus of praise and the ground soaks in the water.

Yet, just this morning I read a missive from someone whose farm is gripped by drought.  Crops withering and dust swirling, they long for rain to fall on the dry and parched soil.

This land has both dry places and rivers of water.  As does my soul.

“He opened the rock.”

A couple of months ago I was in Slovenia and had a chance to explore some of the Unesco World Heritage cave systems.  I hiked through fancy tourist caves and carefully preserved natural caverns.  And one of the things that I found most fascinating is the system of rivers and lakes inside the rocks.  When the rains come, the rivers and underground lakes swell causing the water to spill from its rocky home in glorious waterfalls.  Then when the water level drops the water flow ceases and the openings in the rocks run dry.

“He opened the rock and the water flowed.”

I don’t know if there was an underground stream in the desert or if God simply created one for his people, but either way – He Himself was the source.  He opened the rock and the water flowed so that “the river ran in the dry places.”

Can you picture it?

I imagine the scene.

I see that pure blue Slovenian mountain stream, the one that never ceases to take my breath away with its beauty, springing forth.  This time, it’s not gushing into a lush alpine setting, but into the desert.  Dry and dusty encompassed by rich hues of blue.  The sand greedily sucks at the water, but it can’t swallow it up.

The water flows.

The river runs.

And the thirsty are satisfied.

“The river ran in the dry places.”

Like this land, my soul is a multifaceted thing.  There are lush alpine hills in my heart.  But there are also areas of drought, corners that I enclose with rock walls, cutting off entire areas of ground from the life giving flow.  I daily need His presence and His power to demolish strongholds and renew my soul.  I need the power of God to continually break through and open the rock, so that the living water will flow through me until it is overflowing to all around me.

“He opened the rock, and water flowed, so the river ran in the dry places.” 

This is my prayer.