In a country full of lakes, the level of water is a pretty good indicator of how much it’s rained. There are some desert-like regions in the world where regular rain is an anomaly.

 

For Israelites in Jerusalem, they were all too familiar with drought-like conditions. So when the prophet Amos said in Amos 5:24, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream,” there is prior understanding of the importance of receiving water. In fact, this was a region that had several riverbeds which were consistently dry apart from the rare downpour.

 

It’s with this preconceived knowledge that we can better understand this pivotal verse from the prophet’s book. Just like ravines are dependent on water-flow, further promoting God’s greatness is dependent on us living upstanding lives that embody justice and righteousness. The Hebrew for these words means that you take actions to correct injustice, and that you live in right relationship with others regardless of social differences.

 

When you live a life marked by justice and righteousness, this will certainly flow to others. The key for this to happen is to first ensure Christ is flowing into you.