Have you ever had a song that so captured your spirit that you listened and sang to it over and over and over?
That’s what happened to me when my friend sent me a video that included this song, Out of My Belly.* (link to the song can be found at the bottom of my post)
“Out of my belly
Shall flow rivers
Rivers of living waters
Iya Iya Eh….”*
Over and over, I listened to this powerful song. At about day 3, I asked “Umm…Lord?…what does this mean?” 😂
I had no revelation of what I was singing so I researched it and found it. In John 7:38 of the King James Version, Jesus says “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Okay…but what does that mean?
So, I did a search of John 7:38 Commentary. From the Benson Commentary, it says
“From within him, from his mind and heart; shall flow rivers of living water— He shall receive spiritual blessings, or communications of divine grace, in so great an abundance, that he shall not only be refreshed and comforted himself, but shall be instrumental in refreshing and comforting others.”
Living water represents Holy Spirit. And when we immerse ourselves in His Word and in worship, we are refreshed. But not like regular water….when you drink water in the natural, it only refreshes YOU. Living water is constant. And not just a river. The scripture says RIVERS of Living Water…Like a River, it constantly flows. It never ends. Living water is given to you to the OVERFLOW! So much so, that it splashes onto others and refreshes them too. WOW!
Sounds so beautiful, LORD. 🤔 I still don’t fully understand that, but okay.
So I just kept singing that song.
Little did I know that God was getting me ready to experience this scripture in action.
Several weeks later, as I am driving to house of a childhood friend, my face is doing an Isaiah 50:7: “ I have set my face like flint…” I am determined, that if the LORD opens the door, He will minister to my friend in a powerful way…through me. This is my assignment. To minister to the broken. And life experiences have left my friend hurting and broken in spirit.
It's been a weekend of laughter and amazing food. I am just a few hours away from having to leave and that door has not opened. Lord, I silently pray, please open the door.
I’m minutes away now. And finally, she begins to share some difficulties that she is experiencing. As she shares her stories, I begin to feel her frustration and discouragement and then…Holy Spirit joins the conversation.
I encouraged my friend to find a scripture that would minister to her. A scripture (that is also a promise from God) that she could pray over herself.
As an example, I shared with her that, not long ago, our finances took a very big hit. And it happened at Christmas time, and no, I had not even started to do our Christmas shopping. As I walked away from receiving the news, I whispered to the Lord. “Okay, Lord, what are we going to do?” He sent me to Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
I told my friend that as the days went by, when worry would come knocking at my door, I would recite Psalm 23:6 and I would declare out loud that “His goodness and His mercy follows me ALL the days of my life.” Over and over. At about the end of the 2nd week, not only was I singing this scripture out loud, there were times when I could hear this song coming from within me. My spirit had taken over my fleshy body and soul and was singing this verse. This verse was totally immersed in me.
Sunday morning, as I am getting ready for church, I hear Lord say “Okay, I want you to give that $60 you have in your wallet as an offering.” In the space of about 3 seconds this is what plays out in my head: HUH??? But, but, but…It’s the only cash I have! Technically, we had no income this week. So, technically, we have no tithe.” I could feel my soul wanting to clutch onto and hide that $60, but my spirit rose up and said “YES! We’re gonna give that devil a punch in the nose.” I trust You LORD! I was obedient and gave that $60 as an offering. Less than 2 hours later the Lord returned it to me 3 fold!
I shared with my friend that God’s Word will NEVER come back void. When you speak it into the atmosphere, it goes out and does what He wills. It is His Word that I repeat. It is His promise that is activated. In this case, His goodness and His mercy follows me ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.
My friend was encouraged and wrote down the scripture reference. As I sat across the table from her, I prayed over her. With my eyes closed, in my spirit, it looked as if my words were flowing gently up and down, across the table, like little waves of water. Wow! 😮 There was such a presence of God’s power and peace and goodness and mercy in the room as I prayed!
Assignment complete, LORD.
Not long after that, I said my goodbyes. As I was driving home, this song, Out of My Belly, began to play. And then it hit me. I just experienced John 7:38! The Lord showed me the complete picture of how my words were flowing up and down like gentle waves of water, across the table, to my friend. The Rivers of Living Water were flowing from me and splashing onto her! Refreshing her. Encouraging her.
🎶 “And as the river flows
It’ll bring every dead thing to life.
It’s a life giving river.
Oh, let it flow
Right here
Right now.”*
🎶 RIVERS OF LIVING WATER. 🎵 💦 🎶
Iya Iya Eh…. 🎶 *
MORE LORD!!! I want more of this LORD. My face is set like flint. I am determined and open to partner with You to minister to others like this!
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:8-11 AMPC
*Here is the link to Prospa Ochimana’s “Out of My Belly”
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