September 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Like the element of fire, water has both a positive and negative aspect. On a hot day during summer children look forward to jumping in water to cool off. No one minds getting wet. Standing in the shower after a hard day of work, letting water run down your back rejuvenates and massages aching muscles. Paddling your way down a peaceful river in the middle of nowhere gives a sense of serenity. And we all know the significance of good drinking water.

Water not only gives life and pleasure but can kill and cause great devastation, too. Water has killed many little children who fell through ice, drowned in swimming pools or were swept along by a strong undercurrent. Violent tsunamis and cyclones have ripped apart entire coastline villages and cities. Even the seemingly indestructible Titanic was no match for the power of water.

Given the importance of water to all of life’s processes, it is not surprising that the Bible uses water to portray God’s mercy and His judgment. Water is a daily reminder of God’s mercy and grace to us and of what it would be like outside of Christ, to be swept away by the waves of God’s judgment (1 Peter 3:20).

The Lord takes what is familiar to us and uses it to convey a very powerful message. Water speaks of the severity of God’s wrath and the strength of His promises. Water to humanity is both friend and foe; therefore we can speak about the water of baptism in both pleasant (purification and the washing away of sins) and unpleasant terms (judgment and wrath). Baptism is a sign and seal of spiritual cleansing. It reminds us of the kindness and love of God who saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4–5).

The next time you use water remember to appreciate it as a precious resource and a powerful symbol of what you have in Christ.