Doctrinally speaking, in order to flow the water of life we must have our thirst quenched (John 4:14). This means that if we are not filled with the living water, there cannot be any overflow. The flowing comes from the overflow, and the overflow comes from having our thirst quenched. From the point of view of experience, however, we need not wait until our thirst is quenched in order to flow.
Since we have already begun to drink of the Lord to quench our thirst, we need to pay attention to the flowing. Many of us started drinking the water of life a long time ago. Our problem is related much more to flowing than to drinking. In preaching the gospel to unbelievers, I would emphasize the importance of drinking, but in ministering to believers I would emphasize the importance of flowing. As believers, we have already begun to drink of the living water. Our particular need is for the flowing of the water.
It is difficult to tell whether or not someone is drinking, but we can easily tell whether or not a person is flowing. Let us refer again to the illustration of the water hose. We cannot see the inflow of the water, but we can see the outflow. Likewise, I cannot see the flow of the living water into you, but I can see the flow of it out of you. We may not know whether or not the water is flowing into us, but we surely know when it is flowing out of us. Such an outflow is evident to everyone.
Perhaps you are wondering what it means to flow the water of life in a practical way. The flowing can be compared to flushing out something with water. To flush out a pipe is to flood it with water for the purpose of cleansing; it is to wash it out by a sudden rush of water. As Christians, from our inner being there should be a flushing of the living water. In order to have this flushing out, this strong flowing, we need to call on the name of the Lord Jesus and pray. It is also helpful to sing to the Lord.
What is particularly helpful to bring about the inner flowing is speaking to the Lord, by the Lord, for the Lord, in the Lord, and with the Lord. The more we speak in this way, the more we shall flow. If there is no one to whom we may speak, we should speak to the things in our room. Speak to the desk, the door, the walls. Speak to anything and everything. If you have a pet in your house, speak to it. Speak to the dog, the cat, the birds, or the fish. Some may regard this practice as ridiculous, but I can testify of the difference it makes to speak. Christians should not be dumb, silent. On the contrary, we must be those bubbling and welling up with life. We all have something to which we can speak. We can speak to the windows, to the doors, and to bricks and stones. When we speak, something of the Lord Jesus flows out. By speaking we are like a water hose which has both the inflow and the outflow.
The amount of inflow is in proportion to the amount of outflow. The quantity of water which flows out of us determines how much water can flow into us. In other words, how much we flow determines how much of the living water we can drink.
Some of you may be very dry, even dried up. The reason for your dryness may be that you do not speak. Because you do not speak, you do not let the living water flow out. I encourage you to flow the living water by speaking. This may sound rather peculiar, but I can testify that it is practical and very effective.
We need to speak in a number of ways. First, we need to preach the gospel to unbelievers. Then we need to speak the truth to believers, to fellow Christians. We should also speak in the meetings of the church. Because I speak so much in the ministry, I have followed the practice of being somewhat quiet in the meetings. My intention in doing so has been to give others the opportunity to speak. For example, during the last forty-five years, I have not once in the Lord’s table meeting gone up to the table to offer thanks and praise to the Lord in taking either the bread or the cup. This does not mean, however, that I have not been burdened to do so. Sometimes I have been strongly burdened concerning this, especially when the saints were dormant in spirit, and the meeting was so slow that the proper time to distribute the bread and the cup passed without anyone moving to do anything about it. In such a situation, the time for the sweet enjoyment of eating passes by, and the opportunity is lost. When the bread is finally passed, most of the pleasure of eating is gone. Many times in the Lord’s table meeting we have failed to pass the bread and the cup at the right moment. Sometimes no one even thanks the Lord for the bread or for the cup. Rather, everyone is slow and silent. Recently I have come to regret the restriction I have imposed on myself, even though my reason has been to give opportunity to the saints to function by speaking and praying. Like anyone else, I need to flow forth praises and thanks in the church meetings. By doing this we release others to flow with living water. We all need to be liberated in the meetings. Do not sit around waiting for others to function. Instead, function actively to speak for the Lord, and take every opportunity to flow with the living water.
A number of times saints have come to me with complaints about the meetings. These saints have told me that the meetings are too low, too poor. Usually when I hear such complaints and criticisms, I do not argue. I may not even reply. However, I would like to take the opportunity now to point out that those who complain about the level of the church meetings must themselves bear part of the responsibility for this. Perhaps the meeting was poor because they were silent, not willing to release the flow of living water. We all have many opportunities to speak in the meetings. Even in meetings that are devoted to the ministry of the Word, there is opportunity to speak both before and after the message is given. Also, we all can pray in the prayer meetings and offer praises and thanksgiving in the Lord’s table meeting. All the meetings of the church are open to the saints. We need to function by flowing out the water of life. According to Ephesians 5:18-20 and Colossians 3:16, Christians should be continually speaking, singing, psalming, and giving thanks.