Thirsty for Living Waters

Do we speak theoretically when we talk of the peace that surpasses all understanding, which is given by the rivers of living water? Not at all, beloved. Paul who wrote the above scripture to the Philippians is an example of one who understood and experienced the peace of God. He suffered in this world more than most of us will ever suffer. Yet he found in God that peace that is given by Jesus Christ our Lord. Indeed it was that peace that kept his heart and mind through all the things that he endured. Remember that he was in prison frequently and at the point of death often. Of the Jews he received thirty nine stripes five times. Thrice he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, thrice he suffered shipwreck. He had been in the deep a night and a day. He was often in journeyings, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea and in perils among false brethren. He was often in weariness and painfulness, in watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings, and in cold and nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).

Yet, what did he have to say concerning his life after suffering all these things? He confessed, saying, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:35-39)