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Analogy of the Lake and Our Christian Life

by Donny Wright
7/18/2014 / Church Life

This morning my memory took me back to a time in which I was in high school. You know the time before monthly bills, working 40-50 hours a week and wondering how you are going to make it after retirement. When I was in high school Mr. Houston decided to build a dam and form a lake behind my parent's property. There were several springs on this land and soon there was a very nice lake behind our house. Dad built a pier so he could fish easily and I could dive into the lake. It was very peaceful and calm in those days, swimming in the lake or taking the fishing boat out into the deeper water.

Now that I am older that lake has a different meaning to me. I see many metaphors for the lake and comparisons in our lives to the meaning of the lake.

The lake actually began with a vision. Mr. Houston had a vision of building this lake and selling lots for the owners to build nice homes. His vision changed into reality when the bulldozers and excavators built the dam and removed the existing trees. Eventually with the spring rains and the many springs that were in the lake area, the lake filled with water. It continued to fill until the lake level met the spillway level and the excess water moved through a pipe under the dam and out the other side.

Then came time to stock the lake with fish. And then it was time to fertilize the lake to keep the moss and green slime away from the lake edges. After a couple of years Dad was fishing almost daily and Mom was cooking the fresh fish.

Then Mr. Houston died and the lake began losing its glamor. People got busy doing other things. I graduated high school and began working away from home. The fertilizing did not occur as often. There was evidence of more trash along the banks of the lake. A large waterway system was constructed in the town which provided boating, fishing and new modern campgrounds. And the lake was paid little attention.

So perhaps you can see the metaphors and analogies in this story about the lake developing. It began with a vision. "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (Proverbs 29:18). The lake was Mr. Houston's vision. He also believed in his vision, he had faith in his dream (Mark 9:23). He looked at the marshy land with scrub timber on it and saw a beautiful lake that would bring enjoyment to others. He was confident in what he hoped for and had assurance of what he did not see (see Hebrews 11:1).

Then he built the lake and cleared the land. He took something that was worthless and made it valuable, something that was an eyesore and turned it into a beautiful summer night with the moon reflecting on the water. He transformed the marshy land into living water. Sort of like when God pulls us out of the miry pit so we can see the beauty of life again (Psalm 40:2).

He built a spillway so that the extra water would continue to flow through and beyond the lake adding life and nourishment to the land on the other side of the dam. This reminds me of God's love for us that he anoints us with the oil of life and love and our cup runs over into those around us and hopefully brings them peace and joy (Psalm 23:5).

Each time we attend church services, devotionals, prayer meetings or read the Bible or listen to a Word from God, we are stocking our lake. We are building treasures (Matthew 6:19-21). We fertilize our spirituality by trying to live as Jesus did. We clear away the clutter that keeps us from focusing on Jesus. We remove the trash that we once carried with us before we became a new creation. And we enjoy the summer nights with the moon shining on our lake.

But we must be careful to make this a practice, to continue with worship, prayer and meditation, communing with God and His people. For if we neglect this practice, soon there will be evidence of slime and trash around our shores. The calmness and beauty of the moon's reflection will be clouded with other things in life that we mistakenly believe are more important.

We will certainly be tempted to take our focus off of Jesus and stop worshiping God as we once did. But we should remember that time when we asked Jesus into our life, when we said that we couldn't do it any longer and we needed help, when we finally admitted that He was the One who could save our life. And when we remember that, we realize that we have the Spring of Life living in us at all times, just as the lake had. Those springs in the lake kept the lake alive even though it grew stagnant. The Living Water (John 7:38) in us keeps us alive eternally even through times of being flooded with worries, droughts of depression and muddy waters of confusion. God is still within us. Jesus is still within us. But they want us to obey them and follow their commands.

So today I pray that we continually fertilize our spirit, drink of the Living Water, cleanse our spirits and enjoy the summer nights with the moon reflecting on the lakes of our lives. Let the love You have placed in our hearts overflow and run over the spillway of life as we strive to help others in your Name. Amen

Copyright 2014 Donny Wright PhD.

Donny is a writer, businessman and father. His writings reflect a sense of help and hope for the struggling seekers.

You may purchase his book, "Thirty Days To Ponder: Spiritual Inspirations For A Positive Life" from www.createspace.com or email him at [email protected]

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