Sparkling

Photo:Glen Nevis, Scotland 2005

Every now and then when I am studying the living, active breath of God (aka the Bible;-) I am delighted to stumble upon something that reminds me how intimately God knows and loves each one of us personally...

I have always been a "sparklie" person-its one of the ways I express joy! I learned a long time ago that a well placed heart-felt smile can make a big difference in a stranger's day, even without a word- and I try to put the heartfelt part into my eyes with a special sparkle that has the love of God in it. Last week there was this Hebrew word I kept running across in my studies:

נָהַר transliterated "naw-har" which means river, & then by association it means to sparkle or be radiant

Psalm 34:5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.

both ideas come together in the Amplified translation of Jeremiah 31:12~

Jeremiah 31:12 (Amplified Bible)
12They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion and shall flow together and be radiant with joy over the goodness of the Lord--for the corn, for the juice [of the grape], for the oil, and for the young of the flock and the herd. And their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow or languish any more at all.

I have also always loved the way God uses water as an illustration in his word... "with Joy shall ye draw waters from the wells of salvation", "with You is the Fountain of Life" and the one that speaks to me continually is Jesus talking about the Holy Spirit in John

John 7:38 (Amplified Bible)
38He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

I have felt the wonder and delight of this river flowing through me, and at the same time the amazing feeling of flowing IN it...I remember being in a huge congregation of worshippers all singing in the spirit and having that feeling of flowing together in the Holy Spirit river.

When I saw this word and these two passages this week, it was like God added just a little extra dimension to the river...it was now not only a river, but it was a SPARKLING river of joy...and I felt this great big Father God hug-like he was delighted with ME as much as I was with Him.

sparklie..thats how it made me feel;-)