Flourish: Creating Space to ThriveSample

The Flourishing Life

I love an inviting front porch—one that speaks welcome and beckons visitors inside. Of all the ways to cultivate this feel, adding potted plants and hanging flowers is one of my favorites. In an instant, they transform a basic entryway into a space of color and beauty.

Trouble is, on my front porch, the loveliness doesn’t last long. I notoriously kill the plants there by neglecting to water them. Though I’m hopeful when I fill my grandmother’s plant stand with spring beauties, they languish as my excitement over new flowers wears off.

Several years ago, my neighbor gave me an amaryllis which she’d cultivated especially for me. Recognizing the love she’d put into this gift, I received it with both thankfulness and uncertainty, wondering if I’d be able to keep it alive.

I put it on my porch and faithfully watered it—for a little while. As life’s busyness and summer’s heat increased, I forgot about the amaryllis (and all the other unfortunate plants on the front porch.)

When I remembered, however, I made a life-altering decision (at least for the amaryllis). This plant was too special to stay on the front porch. Despite my best intentions, it would never flourish there.

So, I moved it to my garden.

In the garden, plants flourish thanks to a faithful water timer. This timer makes sure they get watered every single morning, regardless of how long it’s been since our last rain.

In the Bible, God portrays those who trust Him as a well-watered, thriving tree:

• “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither–whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3 NIV).
• “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green” (Psalm 92:12-14 NLT).
• “They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8 NET).

In all three cases, we see a thriving tree—firmly rooted and filled with vitality. This tree never outgrows fruit bearing, and its leaves never dry up.

It’s not that summer’s heat doesn’t come. Seasons of drought are assumed. Yet, the tree flourishes in every season because of where it’s planted—by streams of water.

Fresh, flowing, abundant water.

Living waters.

“In Hebrew culture, the term ‘living waters’ described pure, flowing water.”1 They “bubbled up from the recesses of the earth and continued to flow even when other streams dried up.”2

Because of the term’s everyday usage in Bible times, living water was also used to describe God, the One who gives continual soul satisfaction.

Jesus picked up this analogy when He offered true relief to thirsty souls.

To the crowd of religious worshipers in Jerusalem He cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ (But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.)” (John 7:37-38 NASB).

And to the cast-away woman of Samaria, Jesus promised, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14 NIV).

To all who will come, Jesus offers true refreshment—the living water of His Holy Spirit. He Himself will satisfy our deepest thirst.

Yet His promise includes more than soul satisfaction. This living water, Jesus said, would well up as eternal life inside believers.

This is where it’s easy to get a bit lost, because eternal life is often defined as “living forever” or “going to heaven when we die.”

If this is all it means, how can eternal life bubble up inside us now?

Turns out, the meaning of eternal life is far richer than the simple definition we often use. “Eternal life is not simply the quantity (how long) but also the quality of life (how good).”3 It speaks of “a fullness or genuineness of life.”4

And it isn’t something we must wait for until we die. On the contrary, eternal life is our current possession, a gift Jesus gave us the moment we came to Him in faith. “For all who presently believe in Christ, there is eternal life to be presently enjoyed. . . The happiness, satisfaction, freedom, confidence, comfort, and humility that come to the believer are the beams that radiate from the center of the gospel.”3

The gospel—the astounding invitation to peace with God through faith in Jesus—offers us eternal life (Romans 5:1-2). When we respond to this gospel, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, bringing His full and genuine life.

From that moment on, everything changes.

Like a languishing plant moved from my porch to the garden, our souls receive access to an abundant spring of new life.

No longer must we live needy, trying to fill our emptiness through people or things. Instead, we can experience abundant life as we’re continually nourished by the Holy Spirit (John 10:10). We can live relationally with Christ, rather than striving to keep up with the try-harder life (John 17:3). We can run to God confidently at any time because He knows us, accepts us, and welcomes us close (John 17:3, Hebrews 4:16).

This is eternal life, the life God’s Spirit gives us as we come to Him and drink deeply, over and over again.

His presence living within us is our ongoing source of thriving.

Personal Reflection:

How would you describe the condition of your soul? Are you like my porch plants on day four of my forgetfulness, trying desperately to survive summer’s heat? Or do you continually receive nourishment from the living water of God’s Spirit?

May you drink deeply, continually, of God’s indwelling Spirit. May His eternal life in you produce His Spirit’s fruit through you.

Prayer of Response:

Lord, thank You for sending Your Spirit to live within me. Thank You that I never face life alone. In seasons of joy and seasons of pain, may I continually look to You as my Source of thriving. Remind me to come to You continually and live in ongoing friendship with You.

Conclusion

Our God has positioned us to flourish from the inside out. In love, He rooted us in relationship with Himself. Like a master gardener cultivating his plants, He nurtures us with wisdom. He connects us to His Son as branches joined to a vine, and He celebrates growth in our lives. He shines His light in our hearts and teaches us to walk as children of light. He leads us in creating space for the things that feed our souls.

All this is ours because His Spirit lives inside us—the Living Water who nourishes our hearts and gives us eternal life.

Through our relationship with God, we can thrive, not just survive. Hard times will come as surely as storms, heat, and bugs come to my garden.

But ours is a good and skillful Gardener. He never leaves us to fend for ourselves. He’s always at work—tending and mending as He cultivates beauty in the garden of our lives. He welcomes us to share life with Him—to learn from Him, get to know His heart, and let Him express His character through us. He’s not in a hurry as He changes us from the inside out. And as He lives His eternal life through us, He’ll use us to draw others into a life-giving relationship with Him, as well.

I pray this week in the garden has refreshed your soul. May our life-giving Creator cause you to flourish as you walk through life with Him.

1https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/living-water-en-gedi

2https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v06-n07/sukkot-a-promise-of-living-water/

3https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/what-does-it-mean-to-have-eternal-life/

4https://www.compellingtruth.org/what-is-eternal-life.html