Thursday, November 05, 2009

Spring Up, Oh Well

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" Revelation 22:1

"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

Last night as I lay in bed not sleeping, I was thinking about praise and worship music and how much it has changed over the years. I know I really like the direction that music is taking because I love to rock! I love music that's fast and exciting- it gets my blood pumping, and nothing gets me in a state of worship better than great drumming. Lol. Anyway, as I lay there in bed, I started thinking about some of the old songs we used to sing in church, and I realized that we really had no clue what we were singing! Does this look familiar to anyone?

I've got a river of life flowing out of me
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free
I've got a river of life flowing out of me.

Spring up, oh well
Within my soul
Spring up, oh well
And make me whole
Spring up, oh well
And give to me
That life abundantly.

Yet the very same people who 20 years ago would sing this song with the biggest smile on their face are scowling when we talk today about the healing waters of Jesus Christ flowing out of our bellies. Why? They've been singing about it for years! As I read these song lyrics, I am just amazed that I haven't really read them before, because they speak volumes. This very song that was always one of the first ones taught to young kids. Every kid in church knew how to sing this song, and as I read these lyrics again, I am filled with hope for the church as a whole and the future. It's just simply time for this song to awake- everyone knows it! I don't mean that it's time to start singing this song again, but what I mean is that it's time for everyone to reach down into their soul, pull out these lyrics and put them into practice.

Because Jesus Christ is our living water. When we asked Him into our lives, we drank of the water of eternal life. Jesus himself, poured that living water into us, it's just that most of us haven't figured out yet how to pull it out and share it with others.

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

It's time for us to start shouting "Spring up, oh well!" It's time for us to walk around and claim the words of this song as meaning for our life. I have a river of LIFE flowing out of ME! And look what that river does- it makes the lame to walk and the blind to see! It releases those who are bound and sets them free! And at the very end of the song every single one of us have been asking over and over that we want that life abundantly!

The river of life, which flows direct from the throne and right into the body of Christ. Right into us! Right into you and me! It's flowing in us, we have it inside us, we just need to figure out how to let it out and share it with everyone who needs it.




3 comments:

Unknown said...

This song means a lot to me. About 30 years ago, I was praying/praising God and I felt a rush and a heard a rumbling sound like river and a feeling like the Holy Spirt was comming from my gut and rushing up through me about to come through my mouth. Then, at that moment, I saw my husband comming home through the window and he was right at the door. I got scared and stopped it. "It", I am not excetly sure what "it" was. But I got up, welcomed my husband home, and never forgot that moment. I also had a really peacefull feeling after that, that lasted a few weeks. Thank you, God.

Anonymous said...

God is good, tonight at my church the message was thirsty for more.Its so important to realize today that we do have a river flowing inside of us, and the deeper we go the purer it becomes. Im thirsty I don't know about you. Spring up oh well inside of me. Praise God thank-you Jesus.

Unknown said...

I was singing that song the it her day. I learned it in bible school in the 1970's. Thank you for posting the lyrics.