August 2024 - Page 3 of 3 - Creation Beckons

John 7:38 Living Water

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (KJV)

Waters continually flow over Minerva Terrace in Yellowstone National Park, and though the formations appear to be permanent, they do change, albeit slowly. If you visit Minerva Terrace and then return several years later, you will notice small changes. Over decades the changes become more obvious. These waters may not appear to be “living waters,” but the returning visitor notices the growth. The terraces continue to grow because the water contains fine particles of limestone that precipitate as the water flows.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, my life should show growth over the course of years because those gifts God places in us are supposed to make changes in our surroundings as we go through life. The growth for many people may not be easily seen in their lives, but it becomes abundantly clear in the lives of people they have blessed just by living in a manner that expresses the teachings of Christ. Not many are called to the more obvious ministries such as preaching or evangelizing, but be assured that the Christian life you live may well be the tool God uses to draw someone to Him. You may be the one whose example can bring a particular person to Christ. You may never know in this life who that is, but perhaps someday in the streets of heaven, someone may walk up to you and thank you for the example you lived.

1 Timothy 2:5 Jesus, the Magnificent Bridge

“There is one God and one mediator so that human beings can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is himself human” (NCV).

The picture is of the bridge just below the Glen Canyon Dam. It’s a picturesque and impressive bridge. It’s easy to see the engineering that went into building this impressive structure that spans the deep and wide canyon beneath it. It will take you and your car safely across the chasm from one side to the other. Many people cross it in both directions each day. By the way, there are other bridges further down the valley that serve the same purpose.

I took the liberty of superimposing an image of another bridge on this picture. This bridge represents the bridge from earth to heaven, and it is, for us at least, a one- way bridge—from earth to heaven. That bridge is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the only way to get from earth to heaven. There are no other bridges to get from earth to heaven. Jesus Christ is the only one, and we represent this bridge by the cross, an ancient instrument of death. Victory over sin is gained only by clinging to Jesus. By hanging on that cross Jesus became the mediator between God and man. That bridge does not have an impressive structure of steel beams to hold it up, but it does have the strength of one single man, Jesus Christ, to hold it strong enough for everybody who wants to cross from earth to heaven to do so safely. The blood of our Savior is imprinted on that cross and His blood will hold it unshakeable until the last sinner has crossed from sin to forgiveness.

Thank you, Jesus, for being our bridge to heaven and eternal life with you.