4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalms 46:4-5, 10 NIV)

Jerusalem is the city of God. It was the place God chose to dwell. His manifest presence was in the Temple behind the veil. Jerusalem is a shadow of the reality, the true city of peace, the people of God. He dwells in the hearts of His people, behind the veil of their physical bodies.

In Jerusalem there is no river. There is a valley where the Kidron flows when there are rains. The water for the physical city comes from an ancient well and from rain collected in cisterns. But in the real city of God there is a river. It springs up from the source. Isaiah foretold of this watering that would come from God and turn into an overflowing spring (Isaiah 58:11). He also foretold that when God~{!/~}s people listen to the Word their peace would be like a river (Isaiah 48:18). Jesus stood in the Temple during a feast and invited all who were thirsty to come and drink from Him and experience streams of living water flowing from within them (John 7:37,38).

The city with such an abundant source of water is safe against the siege of the enemy. It will not fall. We will find God to be our help when the enemy attacks.

And where do we find this water that makes us glad? Where is this Living Water to be obtained? ~{!0~}Be still, and know that I am God.~{!1~} Wait in His presence to hear the words of Life that He would speak to you. When you do, drink deeply, and accept the peace and comfort that they bring. Know He is God over all, and nothing escapes from His sight. Our conditions and our hearts are completely visible to Him. He will deal with the enemy in His perfect time, at the break of day. Be still, and know that He is God!

Evening

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NIV)

Jesus is the One who brings the promises of God to us. He is the One who makes them possible and brings them to pass. It is through Him that we say ~{!0~}Yes~{!1~} to His will for His glory. Without Jesus there is no way we would agree to surrender our lives to God. He makes the promises available and then helps us step into them. We need to realize how totally dependent we are on Jesus for any kind of spiritually life.

God keeps us in Christ. Without God~{!/~}s divine intervention we would fall away, but with His help we stand firm. It~{!/~}s humbling to see how much we need Him for everything of value. It doesn~{!/~}t leave room for pride.

He anoints us for our calling as priests unto God. The Old Testament priests poured oil on the incoming priest as a sign of God~{!/~}s Spirit upon them for their ministry. God anoints us with the real thing. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us is a mark of ownership. God has claimed us, and people can see that by the fruits of the Spirit that are evident in our lives. But it~{!/~}s not as if we are experiencing the fullness of God. We are merely able to handle a down payment. The Greek word used here is similar to the way we refer to an earnest deposit. A certain amount has been given to us, and that guarantees that the complete amount is coming in a short time.

The greatest work of the Spirit in your life is just a small fraction of what is coming. We~{!/~}ll need heavenly bodies to be able to experience the fullness of the Spirit. That fraction is more than enough for today. What an exciting future He is bringing about! It is all His work and for His glory. Aren~{!/~}t you glad He chose you to come along for eternity? Full payment is waiting for us there.

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