Stagnant Water

This past week I have been led to do some pretty random new things. I think it all came together last night at a local college fellowship. This was the passage of study.
 
Mark 5:24
 
24; And he went off with him; and a large crowd was 
following Him and pressing in on Him.
25 A woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years.
26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians,
and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse-
27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.
28 For she thought, "If I just touch his garments, I will get well."
29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she
felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction
30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from
Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?"
31 And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on
You, and You say,' Who touched Me?'"
32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened
to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made
you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.".
 
So what does it all mean? This past week I have been compelled to fast from meat but when anyone would ask why, I didn't know what to say except, "I dunno" or the Sunday School answer (whatever that is). But what God has no doubt been trying to do is an all too familiar routine to Him. Shouting at me, "HEY!! WAKE UP!!! LIFE WITH ME IS NOT A ROUTINE!!!" It is unfortunate (to say the very least) that we can get so complacent and fall into our routine of "God life" that we forget who God really is and how he can work in our life. We sit back and say "Oh praise the Lord!" but do we really mean it? Are we really praising?
 
I find it sad that this has been on my heart about my life.
 
I feel like part of the crowd, crowding around Jesus pressing in on Him. I'm surrounded by Christian music, coming to church, praying, reading, you know... "Church Life". 
 
Why does it feel like a job to me?
 
I've lost that connection, that relationship that God wants with me.
 
Water that collects in tires, swamps, or stays calm becomes stagnant. Mosquitoes lay eggs in this still, stagnant water. Mold and algae collect. This water may not have to move around at all but it becomes dirty, useless.
 
By contrast, have you ever noticed that it is harder to swim in a flowing river, but the water is clean and pure? 
 
The crowd presses in on Jesus, but one woman reaches out in faith. I want to reach out. I'm tired of being stagnant water. I want to fall into the River of Life.
 
Psalm 40:
 
1 I waited patiently (intently) for the Lord; And He inclined me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
 
Don't forget the Young Adult group tomorrow at 5pm. If you can come please call me at 530-864-2151
 
Much Love through our Savior Jesus
 
-HoHo