By Evangelist Linda Clifford-Hayes
I had this word in the middle of the night 14/4/18 ‘water stewards’ when I asked the Lord what that meant (in the middle of sleeping and waking ) the Holy Spirit said “water stewards bring the reservoir of God to a church. Pray for the water stewards” and get up and write it down..!
I didn’t want to open my eyes because I was tired. I am sure more would have been downloaded, but I quickly grabbed a note book and a pen (you can never find one when you need one I thought) scribbled what He said and fell back to sleep.
I woke up thinking I need to understand this word better. Is there such thing as a water steward? I was aware what it might mean spiritually, but I needed to understand the physicality, the natural also, so I could better interpret the word spiritually. I am not a geologist nor have any specialisms in agriculture or ecological systems. As soon as I rose, I looked up the word ‘water stewards’.
Water stewardship is about businesses understanding the risks they face from water scarcity and pollution, and taking action to help ensure water is managed sustainably as a shared, public resource.
Water stewardship goes beyond one being an efficient water user. It is about the collaborating with others to protect shared freshwater resources.
Being a good water steward is about helping to redefine advocate, support and promote better ‘basin governance’ , for the benefit of people and nature. ‘Basin governance’ …wow all new concepts to me.
So let me see what Father might be conveying. He was explicit in saying ‘Water stewards, bring the reservoir of God to a church’
Father is wanting to give us further insight and understanding ,strategy and instructions on how we are to work together for good.
Withdrawal and competing demands are issues in water stewardship. People walking away from their calling, refusing to hear or caught up with myriad of other commitments – there is a danger of pollution and stagnation, if we don’t warn, or if our governance is out of sync.
We often talk about people running on empty or not staying in the vine or drawing from the true source. Water stewards need to encourage Fathers flock to abide within and instruct and teach, how to draw from the source.
I learned today through another of your children , that the Greek word for steward is oikonomoi and refers to the one to whom the head of the house or proprietor has entrusted the management of their affairs.
A steward is somebody who gives order to the comings and goings of somebody’s household. A steward is in charge of the place, but it’s not their place. They have delegated authority. They are the middle managers – he/she is set over others, but in relation to the Master he/she is subordinate- with one eye on those who are under their care, but the other eye always on the one above them.
How instructive is that?
We are not good stewards (individually or collectively), if we mismanage what God is pouring or downloading and if we are not putting in good church governance (basin management) to manage the flow, and so that there is food and growth for all.
The church, the Body is the receptacle of where all things should flow. The government and governance is on His shoulder and flowing from His side.
Our role in ministry is to act as middle managers, through stewarding and handling responsibly, (and may Father help me..!) what He has downloaded. Our role (as another elder shared today) is to free prisoners from the waterless pit and to enable water to be poured on dry, thirsty souls and the land.
The water supply comes from, and belongs to, Father. We draw on this through prayer and worship. We need to keep connected to the source our Master and supplier, Jehovah Jireh. We need good governance within and without(on both the micro and macro level). We need to work in concert with Him ie know where, what and who to satiate or irrigate and with whom. We need to be alert and willing to hear and be led by His blessed Holy Spirit (even in the night seasons..) The world is waiting.
Thank God for his life giving word. We must increase the flow of water, his Holy Spirit and be good stewards of his grace gifts, so that we can meet the competing needs and demands of a changing population.
We pray for food and sustenance rich in nutrients , so that His Life, his word, his wisdom, his knowledge, his understanding can spring up and be reproduced in us, giving life to others.
We must be good stewards of the water /the river that flows from Fathers reservoirs. We must reach out, water the flock, we must heal the land.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your word which has brought Light and Life to me and opened my eyes to see your rich source and supply and how you want us to work together with you and for good. Thank you for those who have contributed to my learning this day and encouraged my heart. Truly your word says, Paul plants and Apollos waters, but you give the increase.
Thank you for you are the source of our life and our strength. Our hope is in you. Thank you for feeling able to call us and use us and delegating your graces for us to minister to those in need.
May we be exemplary of the way you used Fathers gifts, wisdom and knowledge whilst you walked as man on earth. May what you have given us flow. May we be the conduit, the connecting pipe that leads many to your throne, to draw from your everlasting fountain, your reservoir.
Father, as we are positioned individually and collectively in the Body, across our towns, cities and nations, may we work as one new man. We pray for those who are called to steward and to usher in.
May we continue to draw from your eternal resources, to minister to , and raise up a generation who have heard you, believe you and who are washed and cleansed in your life giving fountain.
Song:
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins
And sinners plunge beneath the flood, loose all their guilty stains .
By Linda J
April 2018