- 63. Springs of Water
Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
The promise is repeated: Parched ground and thirsty land will become a pool and springs of water. This is metaphorically what happened when the Messiah came to earth. When we were baptized the dry ground of the soul became wet and refreshed, fertile and abundant. As signs of this spiritual truth Jesus turned water into wine, Jesus promised living water from the wells of salvation, and Jesus declared, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” This He spoke of the Holy Spirit and Eternal Life, which would enter and flow through our lives. He produces fruit: grass with reeds and rushes.
The soul is a desert because it is dead to God and alive to sin. Jesus came to forgive the sin and make the dead land of the soul to thrive and grow new life. When we are dry and thirsty we have experienced the quenching refreshment of a cup of cold water; we have experienced the refreshing water of a good swim on a hot day. This is what happened to us when we were baptized; this is what happens to us every week in Holy Communion; this is what happens to us when we hear and believe the Gospel with a repentant heart.
The desert of the soul is a habitation of dragons. The Dragon = Satan. This truth, of course, is not pleasant: the sinful soul is filled with demons, fallen angels, and minions of the devil. Sometimes evil rears its ugly head in ways that are beyond our understanding, and it certainly is not our true desire. We might say, “Where did that come from?” Well, one answer is this: demons live there. Jesus came to exert and demonstrate His power over demons during His ministry. Demons inhabit dry places where the Lord is grieved or is absent. But the Lord Himself promises to come in and clean the desert with living water, His very own life. What a promise!