For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow from the

inmost being of anyone who believes in me. (John 7:38) TLB

Courage to Flow
Imagine a crude ancient well for a moment. It is lined with rough hewn
rocks and is centuries old. Townspeople and shepherds needing water for their
families and flocks have been going to this same well for years. It has a heavy rock
slab covering it to protect it from garbage or other contaminants being thrown or
washed into it. It takes two women or one very strong man to move this slab. Those
who wish to drink must move it with great effort and then drop a bucket into the well.
The crude bucket is attached to a rope which may or may not be attached to some kind of wheel or pulley. The bucket
is lowered many feet into the well until it strikes water. It is then pulled or cranked to the top of the well. The bucket is
then poured into personal containers, other wooden buckets or large clay jars, and then carried home usually upon
ones head or with a yoke of some kind held on the shoulders with a bucket or vessel balanced at each end. This way
of drawing water, which many in third world countries still use today, is a heavy burden and a heavy yoke that must be
carried daily. Contrast this method of getting water with todays indoor plumbing.
Jesus said, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matt.11:30) Jesus told a spiritually heavily burdened
woman at a well one day, Drink of me and you will never thirst. Come to me and drink and you will become a spring
welling up into eternal life. (John 4) Imagine what it would be like for this woman to never have to draw water again
but simply have water flow up through her. Of course Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, spiritual indoor
plumbing. During their discussion the woman revealed her understanding that there were only two places to worship
God, either high on a mountain or in the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus told the woman he was looking for people who
could worship anywhere, who would worship in Spirit and in truth.
The Lord wants to ask you three questions. The first question is, Is the yoke, the burden of your
responsibility in your teaching job, light or heavy? The second question is, Why is it light or heavy? The third
question is, What is worship and where do you believe that it is appropriate to worship?
The Lord is saying, As the woman at the well had many previous husbands, many of you in public education
are trying to please many others before me. You are trying to please administrators, students, co-workers, parents,
and yourselves ahead of me. If you have more than one master you will please none. If you serve me first, I will add
all the professional things you need. Your professional yoke can be easy and light.
The Lord is saying, Worship is putting me first in your life and communicating with me. It is giving me time,
speaking to me, listening to me, and obeying me. I want this all the time and not just on Sunday mornings. I want you
to worship me in the schools, in Spirit and truth. I want you to be a part of the river of my Spirit flowing in the public
schools.
Carolyn Johnson never personally experienced a truly easy burden and a light yoke in her teaching career until
she began to flow beyond the protective stone walls of the well of her own ideology. After ten years of heavy personal
burden bearing, often working on school work on weekends and often until 8:00 or 10:00 at night on weekdays, she
finally asked other Christians at school to begin praying with her. They began to meet to intercede for one another, to
thank and praise the Lord, and to share the heavy burdens they each were carrying alone. In time their professional
yokes became much lighter. The Lord often gave Carolyn and others a change of heart and perspective regarding the
burdens they were bearing.
Jesus tells us to bear one anothers burdens. He does not say, Wait until Sunday to unload your burdens and
meet and pray only with people who have the exact same doctrinal beliefs and who worship just like you. I believe he
is saying, Join with other believers and flow together right where you are. A stream is of much more benefit than a
well and a river is of greater benefit than a stream. Not until my people have the courage and hear the call to flow
together within the public schools will this institution ever be spiritually more than a desert dotted with individual
wells and a few oases. Come step into the river that is flowing out into the desert from under the temple door.
Prayer: Lord, help us hear the call and give us the courage to spiritually flow together in public schools.
Application: Attend a local Christian Educators Association International conference or meeting.
Sharing: Share the answers to the questions offered in paragraph three of this devotion.
CLASSROOM LIGHTHOUSE SERIES: TEACHER! TAKE COURAGE! (For inquiries contact ceaihouston@sbcglobal.net.) WEEK 15