The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
to the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
What is this holy place if not the human soul? For we read “you shall be called holy,” and “are you not aware that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit?” God is pleased to dwell in us as a permanent dinner guest: “if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” If we have this promise from God on high, who then fears that they cannot find or commune with God? “If you hear my voice.” Yes, if that voice is heard through the din of the world and our own thoughts. But it is within our power to hear God’s voice – he has given that ability to his creatures for “I will not leave you orphans.” And of course once that voice is heard we must “open the door” by letting him full in to our hearts through a determined effort at prayer and charity to our neighbors.
“The waters of a river which give joy to God’s city” represent this inner communion in the soul as well as the whole church. “God is within, it cannot be shaken” and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
“God will help it at the dawning of the day” (v 6)
This action of the water of life enriching the soul is also spoken of in Psalm 65.10-11: “You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God’s watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.”
“Breaking up its clods, softening it with showers” is elsewhere stated as “you will have to suffer many trials, but this is so your faith, which is more precious than fire-tried gold, may by its genuineness lead to…” and “what son is there that the father does not discipline? God chastises those whom he loves.” But “we need patience to do God’s will” and it is his will that we stay on the path of faith through the trials of this life.