Take a Drink of the Living Water and Live!John 7:37-39 (Amplified) Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice. If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who cleaves and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, “From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. But He was speaking here of the Spirit, whom those who believed [trusted, had faith] in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified [raised to honor].
I love these wonderful words from Jesus! “Who ever believes in me, from his innermost being shall flow …springs and rivers of living water”
I learned some interesting facts about our need for water: - Water dissolves nutrients and minerals and helps to move them around our bodies. -Water flushes waste products from our kidneys and livers, -Water lubricates our joints and keeps our eyes, mouths and nose tissues moist. -Water regulates our body temperature and protects our internal organs. -Our lungs are 90 percent water, our brains are 70 percent water, and about 60 percent of the human body is water.
This metaphor of Living Water, is easy to understand. Like fresh water, the Holy Spirit, flows through those who Cleave to Him, Trust in Him, and Rely on Him.
He renews the mind, revives the spirit, cleanses the heart and refreshes and repairs the body! And just like we need clean, fresh water to live for a healthy life We need the Holy Spirit to live a healthy and fruitful spiritual life. But it’s not just for our own refreshing, he means for his Holy Spirit to flow through us, and like water in a river it moves on and flows out. We need to be open vessels that His love and grace flows through and flows to those who are thirsty and need Jesus! I usually start each day with a fresh class of water. It wakes me up, and it gets my digestive system going.
Along with a glass of water, I have my personal quiet time with God. Before the dog and the family get up and are each wanting help with various things; I seek God and his word to wake up my spirit and enter into His Presence.
This morning’s “Jesus Calling” devotion reading, was about how much God loves spending time with us, and that he wants us to spend time with him for the pure pleasure of being in His Presence. When we spend time with God, he is blessed!
Pastor encouraged us on Sunday to “Pursue God”. That really hit me, and I had to ask myself, ‘Am I Pursuing God?’ ‘Do I cleave to Him? ‘Do I long for Him?’ Am I thirsty for the Holy Spirit? Todays devotion also convicted me, ‘Do I enjoy being in God’s Presence just for the pleasure of being with Him and for the purpose of blessing Him?’
Other parts of Delton’s message also spoke to me. He said, “We may each have our own Babylon (struggles, and problems) that we go through in life. Some are for a short season, others may last a lifetime and it’s not always fair!” But God doesn’t want us to give up, he wants us to go on living our life, the best that we can, not in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
He urged us to Pursue God, no matter what Babylon we are facing. And, that with God we will receive the hope that will help that will carry us through our own Babylon.
This message connects with today’s Scripture, because Jesus is our hope, His Holy Spirit, is the Living Water, that we each need to survive, and not just survive, but to prosper and have a future with Him!
Dear Jesus, Thank you, for the gift of the Holy Spirit! Help me to pursue you with my whole heart and to drink you into my inner being! Please help me also to be an open vessel for your Spirit to flow through to those who need you! Amen.
Patrice