The Spigot
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:9-16
The Holy Spirit is ready to water your soul but you have to turn on the spigot.
The water is always ready but you control the flow. You decide what you will seek with your heart, and you decide what you will hide in your heart. The way you decide what you will declare with your lips is by what you fill your heart with. You can only indirectly control what flows out of your mouth; you control what pours forth from your lips by controlling its water source—your heart. The reservoir of your heart is ready and waiting to be filled; you have to decide what you want to fill it with. Once your heart is filled, whatever is filling it will flow out of your mouth. “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45b). Be mindful of what you fill your heart with, for it will come pouring out of your mouth.
You’re not supposed to only know God, you’re supposed to believe in Him.
Knowing God is the first step in filling yourself with Him. knowing God exists is an act of the mind; believing in God is an act of the heart. Knowing God is the equivalent of knowing water exists; believing in God gets the water running through the pipes to the spigot. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). Getting water to the spigot doesn’t water your soul; you have to turn the spigot on.
You’re not only supposed to believe in Him, you’re supposed to be His disciple.
Once your mind and your heart are connected in the pursuit of God, life can begin to flow (Hebrews 11:6). Turning on the spigot is when you connect your heart to your body and allow the water of the Holy Spirit to change you. You can only become a disciple of Jesus if you are willing and decide to follow Him. Many are willing to follow Jesus, but only the ones who actually follow Him will be saved (see Luke 9:57-62). Becoming Jesus’ disciple is more than an act of your mind and your heart; it is an act of your soul, which begins in your mind, flows to your heart and then comes through your body as discipleship transforms your life. It is a movement of your entire soul.
You’re not only supposed to be His disciple, you’re supposed to be His apostle.
Once you have the spigot turned on, water can flow into your life, but it also needs somewhere to go. If water just sits in one place, it begins to create mold and mildew. For the system to be healthy, the water has to have a place to run into. As part of being a disciple, you have to have someone else to pour your life into. The spigot won’t run out of water. You need to let what flows into you flow into others so that you are ready for a fresh supply of water. The gospel begins in your mind, flows to your heart, transforms your body (actions), and then goes out to water those around you.