Jn.15:26 – But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,
The River is one of the images that the Lord uses to describe the characteristics of the Holy Spirit who flows out from the Father and the Son. This pictures help us to understand some of the incomprehensible characteristics of God. For example He uses the image of the wind which brings refreshing to our soul. He uses the picture of the sun that is a constant source of warmth and energy displaying the passion and power of God. The river flowing out from the throne reminds us of the source of the river and its eternal nature. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and continues forever. The river of God is never diminished because God is eternal and He is never diminished. Here is how Jonathan Edwards describes this characteristic of the Lord.
“This river is the river of God’s pleasures, as it is elsewhere called, and is the Holy Spirit, and therefore proceeds both from the Father and the Son, from the throne of God and the Lamb. The fountain of all good flows out in this stream. Christ himself has told us what the living water is, or which is the same thing, the water of life, that is, the Spirit of God. ‘Tis called “a pure river, clear as crystal,” to denote the holiness of it, for God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit. ‘Tis the holiness of God in abstract; and therefore when a river is made use of as an emblem of it, ’tis meet that it should be a river of extraordinary pure and clear water, clear as crystal. “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit.” Firstly and chiefly, ’tis meant that the water had life in it. Common water is mere passive, dead matter, but this water is alive. Tis a living divine person. This water is not only something living, but ’tis life itself.”
This image has had a major impact on my life. It has caused me to realize that no matter what is going on, the river of God is always in a state of overflow. The rivers of the world may be diminished at times depending on the source that their water flows from. The Holy Spirit can never be dismissed because He flows out of the eternal nature of the Father and the Son. Living in New Orleans we are quite familiar with rivers, particularly the Mississippi River. It would be unthinkable for this river to dry up. Let me assure you, if the Mississippi ever does dry up you can rest assured that the River of God will still be in the constant state of overflow.
