Four Rivers

UV 2233/10000 Four Rivers
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads
Genesis 2 v 10

Eden means pleasure or delight. The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John can be compared to the four rivers that watered the garden of Eden. These are eternal springs whose water never dries up. The four gospels are the spiritual rivers with the water of life that is crystal clear. These rivers moisten our lives, water our spiritual garden of delight. God is the ultimate source of our pleasure and delight just as the four streams are the sources of rivers like the Tigris and the Euphrates. The words of Jesus spoken and recorded in the four gospels are the living waters that inspire us, refresh and renew us and teach us how best to live in alignment with God’s will. The four gospels are the streams or rivers of living water that Jesus said, would flow from the hearts of believers. Belief or faith is the means and medium by which the rivers are transferred from the written word to the hearts of mankind. The gospels tell us in crystal clear manner what we ought to do. Every word in the gospels count and as we remember, meditate, pray over and claim each word it becomes our spiritual manna or food of our souls..

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” The will of God was to offer Jesus as the perfect sacrifice to atone for all the sins of mankind. Jesus desired above all else to fulfil this will of God. It cost Him great pain and agony but it gave the Father pleasure and delight that He do so faithfully. Indeed, the delight of the Lord is the source of our nourishment, the source of our inspiration, the source of our sustenance and strength for these are the four functions of spiritual food in our lives. The four gospels are also like the four fences or boundaries of our lives and we do not seek to do anything that crosses these borders on the North, East, West and South. The four gospels also tell us precisely what we should not do which would displease the Lord. As we carry out the words of Jesus in all aspects of our lives, the meaning and impact of good news will be released and felt.

As we read, reflect and obey the living words contained in the four gospels, our lives become like a fenced and well-watered garden in which all types of ornamental as well as fruit trees grow. The hopeless and useless deserts of our former selves are transformed into the useful, delightful, flourishing garden of Eden. We bring delight at this stage to the Lord and to others He sends into our lives. God gives us two new names Hephzibah or “MY delight is in her” and Beulah or “Fruitful.” Just as one act of obedience to the Word of God sent Adam and Eve out of Eden, every act of obedience to the gospels brings us into Eden, the paradise the Lord has prepared for each of us. The gospels also cover areas of life in which treasures like pure gold, onyx and bdellium are found abundantly just as the land through which the four rivers in Eden held pure gold and precious stones. This implies the gospels contain the hidden treasures of wisdom. We should use our minds under the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit to mine these treasures, we should store these treasures in the many chambers of our spiritual hearts to be brought out whenever and wherever required. The conscious mind is a tool for digging, exploring, discovering while the heart or the subconscious mind is a place for storage and retrieval



Prateep V Philip