Joyspring: A Devotional Adventure with Living Water

By Kathy Woollett

Joyspring is a collection of devotional reflections using the story of a streams journey from mountain to coast as a parable. Beginning with the spring of water called Joyspring, images of crisp sparkling mountain water, chuckling streams, rapids, caves, lakes and rivers are woven together with scriptures, and life experiences to describe our journey with God. It explores Jesus promise of living water that revives, strengthens and flows through us to others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781973602323

Kathy Woollett

Kathy Woollett is a communicator whether she is teaching adults, telling stories to children or sharing with friends over coffee. She is also a pastor with Church Unlimited in Auckland, New Zealand. One of her delights is communicating Gods Word to encourage others to discover the joy of friendship with Jesus Christ.

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Copyright © 2017 Kathy Woollett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-0233-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0232-3 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/07/2017

CONTENTS

Introduction – The Story Begins

Joyspring’s Song – A Parable

The Source

The Spring

The Call To Journey

Rain

Obstacles, Twists And Turns

In The Dark

Still Waters

Stay In The Flow

The Power Of Song

Gorges – Pressure

Whirlpools

The River

Sparkling Water

Joy

The Much More

A Closing Word

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. – Revelation 21:6

INTRODUCTION – THE STORY BEGINS

Sparkling water! Two words that together describe an irresistible, thirst-quenching, life-enhancing experience of water. Perhaps you have a favourite brand of water that comes to you packaged in a bottle? Nice, but somehow it’s not the real thing. Bottled water, no matter how it is packaged, is satisfying only for a moment then it is done and the bottle discarded. But sparkling water that is bubbling from the ground, crisp, clear, cold, is a whole different experience. Sparkling water that is running through bush, gushing down rocks, laughing in the sunshine, rippling across a lake – now that really is a sparkling, life giving, unlimited, plunge-in water. Sparkling water, like this, entices us with its beauty, its taste and its flow. This is the kind of water I associate with God’s offer of abundant life and Jesus’ offer of living water.

Water is such a vital commodity for life. Without water we die. It is therefore fitting that when the Biblical writers were looking for a metaphor to describe the Holy Spirit, the life and power of God, they chose water. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, springs, rivers, wells, rain and fountains are used to describe the life giving nature of God’s Spirit. Perhaps the most powerful statement is Jesus standing on top of the stairs in the temple as large jars of water were spilled out during the feast of Pentecost declaring if we come to Him, out of our innermost being will flow rivers of living water. What a picture of abundant, overflowing life!

Then there is the picture of the river Ezekiel describes that flows from the throne of God bringing life to all it touches. Isaiah’s river turns the desert and the wilderness into a riot of colour and life. These Biblical images plus my growing up in a country like New Zealand with its high rainfall, forests and mountains, streams cascading down narrow gorges, spectacular waterfalls, shimmering lakes and river estuaries have captured my attention and imagination many times. Over time these images, experiences and Scriptures have formed themselves into a story.

Jesus told stories, wonderful stories that make us think. He used everyday events that His hearers were familiar with to convey deep spiritual truth. A good story captures our imagination and takes us on a journey beyond ourselves. A really good story is one you can come back to over and over again, each time discovering something new and fresh. In listening to or reading a story we are pulled into its narrative. Who hasn’t, as a child conquered dragons, rescued princesses, set out to make a fortune or climbed bean stalks! Without knowing it, we join the story and live the story. As we do, we think about how we might react or handle a similar situation. The story begins to shape us. Jesus, the brilliant teacher that he was, tapped into this desire with His simple parables. As we read and reread, listen to, imagine and meditate on the Biblical stories, we are challenged, inspired and shaped. In