Like water, the human spirit seeks to find the lowest level. Only when it is channeled, controlled and pushed by some force does it rise to higher levels. Everyone who has a well knows that without the pump in the well the water would never rise and flow through the plumbing in our homes. Most urban areas have huge water towers that are elevated above the surrounding structures. Once the level is elevated, it flows down again with force, pushing its way through the plumbing and now we have a wonderful shower or water flowing in the kitchen sink.

In order for the world to experience the life giving water of God, we must allow the Holy Spirit to channel, control and push our spirit to higher levels in Christ Jesus.

Remember what Jesus said to the woman at the well. He basically said to her, if you ask me I will give you living water that you will never thirst again. In another place Jesus said out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living waters. Since we know that water flows downward we must seek the source, the elevated place that begins the flow. I believe that place is nothing less than the throne of God. Thank God through the blood of Jesus, we have access there.

To keep water from flowing where it is flowing, dams are erected to stop its flow. Often in our spirits, we or Satan will dam up the flow of the Holy Spirit. Like the water, the Holy Spirit will not push aside the dam unless and until there is so much flow that it overwhelms and breaks the dam. May the flow of the Holy Spirit be so mighty in us that every dam, barricade, and hindrance be washed away and the power of the Holy Spirit in us flows to the thirsty around us!

We have been talking about the veil which was in the temple, separating us from God. We have read that that veil was torn by God opening the way for us to come to the source of the fountain of God, the Holy Spirit.

A.W. Tozer continues discussing the tearing of the veil.

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.(Romans 8:13)

When we talk of the rending of the veil, we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is poetical, almost pleasant; but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it.

In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue; it is composed of the sentiment, quivering stuff of which our whole beings consist, and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain. To tear it away is to injure us, to hurt us and make us bleed. To say otherwise is to make the cross no cross and death no death at all. It is never fun to die. To rip through the dear and tender stuff of which life is made can never anything but deeply painful. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free.

Let us beware of tinkering with our inner life in hope ourselves to rend the veil. God must do everything for us. Our part is to yield and trust. We must confess, forsake, repudiate all the self-life, then reckon it crucified. But we must be careful to distinguish lazy “acceptance” from the real work of God. We must insist upon the work being done. We dare not rest content with a neat doctrine of self-crucifixion. That is to imitate Saul and spare the best of the sheep and oxen.

Insist that the work be done in very truth, and it will be done. The cross is rough, it is deadly, but it is effective. It does not keep its victim hanging there forever. There comes a moment when it’s work is finished and the suffering victim dies. After that is resurrection glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for joy that the veil is taken away and we have entered in actual experience the Presence of the Living God.

Dr. John Thompson