What's Been Damming Up the Stream?
by
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WHAT’S BEEN DAMMING UP THE STREAM?
Jesus often used very graphic and descriptive similes and comparisons to get His message across. At one of the annual festivals He spoke to the people about the vitality of the Holy Spirit, and what it is like when He lives in our hearts, and bubbles over. He compared it with gushing springs of life-giving water.
“Whoever is thirsty should come to me and drink, … Whoever believes in me, streams of life-giving water will pour out from his heart.” (John 7:37-38) The next statement clearly interprets this as a reference to the Holy Spirit, who would come to live in the individual believer.
If such an abundant overflow of power and divine presence is to be the evidence of the Spirit’s presence, why is it that we often have but a trickle?
Why be content with a few drops when it’s God’s will that there be a gushing stream? Who (or what) has been damming up the stream?
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WHAT’S BEEN DAMMING UP THE STREAM?
All I see is little drops
Coming from within;
Jesus spoke of mighty streams,
Power genuine.
“If you thirst,” He said to them,
“Come to me and drink.”
Between such power then, and me
Jesus is the link!
Show me what is damming up
The flow from deep in me,
Let Your Spirit now gush forth,
From every barrier, free.
Help me to open up to You
So nothing now be hid;
All hindrance to Your power, Lord,
I wish now to be rid
Prayer: Lord, something is damming up that stream in my heart. Please show me what it is, and give me the courage and ability to remove it.
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About the Book
Looking for something different in a devotional guide? Look no further than What’s Been Damming up the Stream? by Louis G. Nelson. This is a new and refreshing format for devotional material. Each unit is a meditation and a poem, both on the same scripture, on facing pages
The title comes from Jesus’ statement in John 7 - “Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will pour out from his heart.” When we notice that there are only trickles instead of streams, we ask ourselves the question: “What’s been damming up the stream?” The meditations and poems in this book address that question.
About the Author
Rev. Nelson is a native of
In 1967 he joined the World Mission Support staff of American Baptist Churches, and served in that capacity for the next 22 years, retiring in 1989.
He and his wife June (married for 58 years) reside in independent living at the
This book, WHAT’S BEEN DAMMING UP THE STREAM?, is his second devotional book combining a meditation and a poem. His first book, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING was released early in 2004 – published by Trafford Publishing of
Both of these books were many years in the making, for they were gleaned from his journals, written each day as he spent the first hour or so with the Scriptures in meditation and prayer. During those years he has recorded over two thousand poems of reflection on the Scripture.
He is currently working on other books of poems for future publication – on Stewardship, Praise & Prayer, Christmas, and Easter.