Today, as we continue our prayer walk around around the walls of our hearts and homes, we want to stop now at the water gate. Water, in Scripture, is the symbol of the Word of God or the Spirit of God.
Here is the account of the water gate restoration from Nehemiah 3:26-27 (NKJV) ---
"Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower. After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel."
The interesting thing about this account of the renovations around the Water Gate is that there is no indication that this gate needed the same level of repairs as the others. Perhaps this is a prophetic indicator that the challenge for us is not necessarily the restoration of the water gate, but the restoration of the areas that are taking time and attention away from this gate's role in our hearts and homes. Perhaps, this is a gate that many households simply have to start accessing again, accessing more often, or accessing for the first time.
This is the gate that reminds us of our need for the Word and Spirit of God. We must have the Word and Spirit, like the physical body must have water.
Jesus said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4).
We are receiving more than just inspiration and encouragement when we read the Word of God. We are literally drinking new life into our souls.
If we jump ahead to the completion of the entire wall and gate restoration project, we discover a profound event. We read in Nehemiah 8:1-3,
"Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law."
The picture is very clear: Every family and household; every heart and home must restore and return to the water gate to receive the Word of God and the very presence (Spirit) of God.
---Chris and Carol Green
