The Dead Sea or Living Water?

The reason the Dead Sea is, well, dead is because there is no outflow of water... Lots of water flows into the Dead Sea everyday but not one drop flows out.  If you think about it, although mysteriously beautiful, the Dead Sea is where everything else goes to die... Every living thing flowing into the Dead Sea, whether it knows it or not is on a path to the death. The Dead Sea is just one huge grave yard.

Dead Sea, Jordan

I can't stop thinking about the Dead Sea, I keep relating it to my life... Hearing one question in my mind, over and over again "Do you have outflow?" God daily heaps blessing into my life (and yours), He takes care of me and has given me so much grace that I simply do not deserve. "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation." Psalm 68:19 (KJV) But if I don't let those things flow out of my life into the lives of others around me I'm letting that blessing, care and grace die, I'm becoming the Dead Sea of Blessing, the Dead Sea of Care, the Dead Sea of Grace. I don't want to be the place where blessing, care and grace die! Don't let God's love flow into your life and die there, let it flow out of you into the lives of the people around you! Don't let the people who come to you find themselves on the path to death. Don't allow yourself to become a grave yard of everything good, make sure there is an outflow!

Listen, outflow isn't for the sake of reputation, it's not about what you get out of it or who sees you giving... If you don't have outflow God probably isn't going to totally cut you off from receiving from Him but you will die and so will everything around you. Yes, the river of life is flowing freely to everyone but don't forget that same river of living water is supposed to flow out of you! "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" John 7:38 (NIV)

God loves all of us, even if He knew dying on a cross at Calvary would only save one soul. Even if that one saved soul was only you He would have still walked the Via Dolorosa, He would have taken every stripe, heard each curse of His name, He would still watch the nails pierce is flesh and tear through His veins, He would have still prayed "Father forgive them" as their spit reached his face, He wouldn't have refused the crown of thorns nor would he stand up for Himself as they mocked His life of love... He still would have been ripped off the tree, wrapped in grave cloths while His mother wept over his unrecognizable body screaming into the heavens why her baby... He would have still gone into the grave... He would have still risen victorious on the third day, He would have still done all of that and more, even if just for you. But how can we let that die with us, if He rose again to save us how could we not rise in witness to His love and power? How could we become the Dead Sea of redemption?

God isn't willing for one person to die. He doesn't plan for you to become a Dead Sea. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) So you have to ask yourself one thing, "what does God desire from me?" I think the answer is obvious but just in case you're struggling, He wants you to have out flow, let the blessing, care, grace, love and redemption that He's freely given you flow out of you and touch everyone you come in contact with! And, since we know now that God wants us to be witnesses for Him we need to also realize He will help us, He is that river flowing out of us and if we just open the floodgate and let Him flow! He will do the work, we don't have to worry if that water will change the course of someone's life; our job is just to let the river flow out of us it's the power of the river that influences the direction of anything it flows over.