Brackish Water

Brackish Water

“A spring cannot pour both fresh and brackish water from the same opening, can it?” (James 3:11 ISV)

Although the sources of freshwater and seawater are different, they can be found together in certain instances. Brackish water, a mix of saltwater and freshwater, is often found where rivers and streams flow into the sea. This water is stagnant, murky, and bitter.

Similarly, when worldly aspirations get mixed up with sacred purpose, the outcome is often muddy. When our desires and God’s will get tangled, it’s difficult to know which is which. This results in confusion and restlessness.

Estuaries and mangrove swamps, where brackish water is typically found, are often populated by mosquitoes, crocodiles, and other unpleasant creatures. One of the unusual species found in these waters is the archer fish. These fish shoot water from their mouths at insects living in the trees, knocking them into the water where they can be eaten.

The confluence of holiness and worldliness is often swampy. We are bombarded with annoying distractions and threatened by menacing afflictions. Undefinable fears shoot down and swallow our immature faith. Many of us get stuck in this quagmire, never experiencing the freshness of the water further upstream. Those who are willing to leave the world behind and move closer to the Divine source are blessed with clarity and vitality. They are suffused in brightness. They are strengthened by the Spirit.