By: Obed Pineda
There is no doubt that mankind has always been captivated by the pleasures and beauty of water. The soothing sounds of waves washing upon the sands or the constant running of the river currents invites an individual to jump in and enjoy a refreshing swim. The calm nature of a pond or a lake provides the ideal environment one sometimes needs to get away for a moment from this fast paced life, and find peace to regenerate strength. These delightful commodities offered by different bodies of water makes it clear why many suburban and rural neighborhoods typically have man-made ponds or dugouts near their properties. Indeed, they are also added to enhance the aesthetic view and value of their land. Alas, what was once a dream can swiftly become a nightmare. Because these ponds and dugouts are not natural, they lack the current that filters the river’s fresh, clean water. Thus, when routine maintenance is not performed and the flow of the water stops, stagnation begins to deteriorate the pond. There are several dangers that can manifest from standing water, disease being the primary one. Stagnate water is fertile ground for mosquitoes to multiply in, and these tiny critters are a bigger threat than just being an annoyance. These insects are carriers of diseases such as malaria, dengue, West Nile, and Encephalitis (to mention a few), which they can transmit on to human beings. Ergo, the more mosquitoes multiply in standing water, the greater the risk of these infirmities spreading throughout the surrounding area. Furthermore, the longer the water remains still the more it transforms into a sort of incubator for parasites and several forms of bacteria. This contaminates the water and makes it very harmful if ingested. Depending on the amount of time the water has remained still, standing water can become poisonous and will make whoever drinks from it gravely ill. Therefore it is transparent that standing water is much more perilous than just producing a noxious smell and becoming an unattractive sight. This, too, illuminates a great lesson every faithful Christian can learn from the value of running water. The apostle Paul advised his spiritual son, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elder ship. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1st Timothy 4:14-16). The vitality of spiritual growth is a thread that runs throughout all of Holy Writ, thus proving the magnitude of its importance. It is wise to also comment that the Bible also urgently warns against the threat of spiritual stagnation. The inspired Paul preaches to Timothy about the need for progress (spiritual growth) and warns against becoming negligent (spiritual stagnation). For this reason, to be diligent in using our spiritual talents is like the fresh, clean water that is in daily motion. Whereas to neglect the gift that is in us is to become like standing water that becomes prey to contamination. Observe how the inspired Paul establishes that progress will arrest the attention of all since growth cannot be ignored. The psalmist corroborates Paul’s statement with the following simile: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:12-14). The opposite is also true when a planted tree never grows, thus communicating that it is either defective or diseased. Hence the sage reason our Lord espoused, “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45). The same is true when speaking about being able to recognize the presence of standing water. The murky appearance, the putrid smell, and the heavy presence of mosquitoes all manifest that the flow of water has been impeded and that it would be dangerous to drink from it. Therefore, it is imperative to comprehend that stalling our spiritual growth will begin to incubate complacency, conformism, and tolerance of sin. Holy Writ reminds us that “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:8,11). It is the duty of every godly servant to press forward toward the spiritual Promised Land (cf. Philippians 3:13-15, 1st Peter 2:11-12). We must beware of men and women who have come to mimic the old prophet from Bethel, lest we are stalled to our doom like the Judean man of God (cf. 1st Kings 13:11-32). When this Scripture is studied, often the question asked is why did God kill the Judean prophet for believing a lie? Following the train of thought of our composition, the prophet of Judah drank polluted water from a pond that had been stagnate for a long time. When he heard the old prophet’s lie, he did not put his words to the test nor did he consult God to verify them (cf. Joshua 9:1-16, 1st Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1st John 4:1). Jehovah God had commanded His prophet “You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came” (1st Kings 13:9). Heaven’s edict given to the Judean prophet clearly was to demonstrate to Israel how deep-seated their impurity had become (cf. 2nd Kings 18:11-12, Isaiah 1:2-9). Regrettably, this young prophet either forgot or never fully understood Jehovah’s purpose for providing him with this instruction, because he trusted in an old prophet who “dwelt in Bethel” (1st Kings 13:11). He failed to realize that although this prophet lived in that city, he remained silent before the king’s wicked objective of creating a new religious system. The old prophet, with his silence, had condoned this evil because he had grown tolerant of sin. The stagnation of his morality is further evinced in that it did not bother him to lie using God’s celestial beings by including them in his deceit, therefore tarnishing His holy name (cf. 1st Kings 13:15-19). The Judean prophet’s stall, shrouded God’s word with doubt due to his own disobedience, thus denying God of glory (cf. 1st Kings 13:20-22, Numbers 20:7-13). There is no doubt that there was a high level of concentrated evil that had incubated in the deceitful prophet since he had no qualms with alluring a man of God to his death (cf. 1st Kings 13:23-30, John 8:44). This tragic tale is a reminder to be vigilant always, for “the righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26). May we beware of our progress being infected by standing water.