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I was asking God to give me a thought for today’s devotion and did not get one all this morning. I was not feeling that high in my spirit and so thought that God did not want me to write anything for today. Whenever I feel low, I know God has some ways to encourage me and a very small verse from the old testament became my inspiration and hence this devotion.

I would like you to read Genesis 21:14-21. There we read Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael away with bread and a skin of water. They wandered in the wilderness and the skin of water was used up. She placed the boy under a shrub and sat at a distance not willing to see his death. Hearing the boy’s cry, an angel of the Lord encouraged Hagar and opened her eyes to see a spring. We read in verse 19 that she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. They dwelt in the desert.

My inspiration for today’s devotion is that skin of water. Abraham, the rich father of Ishmael gave him just a skin of water to survive the scorching heat of the desert. They wandered in the desert and the water was used up. If you carefully read those verses, you will understand that this family ended up living in the desert..then how come they did not find a place even before the provision from his father was used up. And when God opened her eyes and a spring was seen, the same skin was filled with God’s provision, and their wandering turned out to be dwelling in the desert. It was the same skin…but the source of the provision was different. When the source changed…from human father to Heavenly Father…their condition also changed from wandering to dwelling.

My dear child of God, many a times, we too wander in such wilderness experiences….tired of the scorching heat…uncertain of the future. In those wanderings, our trust is in that skin of water we have. We often forget that a skin of water will not go beyond a limit…We carry them thinking that it will help us till we reach our destinations. What is that skin of water that you are carrying today?? Is it your qualification?? Your exposure? Your friends…The love and support of your husband…The financial strength of your family…If only I had it and never runs out…I could reach the place I want to be….Such provisions of this world will definitely go to a certain limit..but in those times..all you feel is that you are wandering…from one place to another…from one situation to another…nothing better than the previous one… You would not get a feeling of settlement from the provisions of this world…you will never be content with the assets of our relationships.

But when we are at that desert…crying unto God…realizing that the earthly provisions that we trusted so far has been used up…and say out loud that only God can us save from this situation..then God opens our eyes to see His provision. This time, you might be using the same skin or vessel from your past…but the source of water is different..It is from God and then you will see the difference. If all these days, you have been wandering…now..its time for a settlement…its time to dwell.

Today, that skin of water that you have been carrying must be your ministry…something that has been passed onto you from your parents…you are holding onto it thinking that it will sustain you…Trust God to give you heavenly spring…you could use the same vessel…but let the water come from above…and you will see the difference.

So get ready to dwell in His presence with the living water He offers.

God Bless,

Rani John

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