John 7:37, 38 - If Anyone Is Thirsty.
John 7:37, 38 - If Anyone Is Thirsty.
John 7:37b, 38 (NNAS) If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me
and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his
innermost being will flow rivers of living water.
In my opinion, the biggest single preventative to us having
feet like "hinds' feet" is a stubborn commitment to independence.
This reflects itself in the lives of every one of us--even those who
have been on the Way for several decades. In the garden of Eden, Adam
and Eve, who were designed to experience fulfillment by being
dependent on God, decided to act independently of Him. Sin can be summed
up as a "Declaration of Independence"--an attempt to do for
ourselves what only God can do for us.
What happened in the garden of Eden is duplicated millions of
times daily, not only in the lives of unbelievers but in the lives of
Christians also--Christians who use self-centered strategies to satisfy the
deep thirst that is in their heart for God. Almost every spiritual or
psychological problem has at its roots this condition--the person is failing in
some way to let God satisfy his deep inner thirst.
This might sound simplistic to some, but after many years of
experience working in the field of counseling, I am convinced that this is
what underlies such conditions as anorexia, sexual perversions,
worry, hostility, depression, homosexuality, and so on. You see, if we
are not conscious that God is meeting the deep thirst we have for
Him on the inside of our being, then the inner emptiness will move
us in one of two directions--to fill the emptiness in any way we can
or to withdraw and protect ourselves from the possibility of any
further pain.
Father, I see yet again that until and unless my deep thirst
for You is being quenched, I am in deep trouble and vulnerable to
all kinds of problems. I simply must get this issue straightened
out. Help me, dear Father. In Jesus' name. Amen. [Every Day With
Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional]
Anyone who is thirsty. That's who is qualified to come to
Jesus. Our thirst will drive us to Him for salvation, for deliverance,
for provision, for fulfillment, for anything we need. But the
promise of Jesus when He shouted these words to the crowd in Jerusalem
was that our thirst coupled with our faith would give us access to
an ever-gushing river of water, the Spirit Himself. Those who drink
of Him will be satisfied.
Isaiah had issued the same invitation centuries earlier
(Isaiah 55:1), and God's promise of thirst-quenching provision was
provided through His Son. Jesus had echoed the same promise in an earlier
sermon: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6, NIV). Clearly, God is interested
in our desire and uses it to draw us to Him. We long for
fulfillment, for the "shalom" of the Kingdom, for the wholeness and peace of
knowing everything is just as it should be. His Spirit gives us deep
tastes of that fullness now with the promise of its thorough completion
at the end of the age. But it all begins with thirst. That's the
key to experiencing it.
How relentlessly would you pursue God if He said your
relationship with Him hinges on your thirst? Your ability to know Him,
experience His presence, and hear His voice will be defined in large part
by the intensity of your longing. He rarely speaks to the
apathetic, but those who long for Him, who crave Him and seek Him with all
their hearts, will be rewarded. If you want to hear Him, keep
thirsting. Let your longings drive you toward Him. Never give up your
persistent petition for His personal touch and clear response to your
cries. He will reveal Himself clearly to those whose thirst settles for
nothing less.
Lord, I echo Jacob's words: I will not let You go until You
bless me. My thirst will not let me settle for a mediocre spiritual
experience. It's too strong for that, and I know You will honor my
persistence. May the river of living water flow freely in me. [The One Year
Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
Jesus stood up on the last day of the feast, right at the
time when a symbolic act of pouring our water normally took place,
and declared Himself to be the source of living water. He not only
announced the eternal springs available to all who believe in Him, He
located those springs in the heart of the believer. The source of life,
of God's truth, of God Himself, would flow from within human
beings. If we believe, we can embody the Spirit of God.
This is the primary means of hearing God's voice, even when
we're reading Scripture, which we can't understand apart from the
Spirit. This internal spring is our access to God's voice. A river is
flowing through those who believe - streams of His thoughts and
impressions and desires - and all we need to do is get into the current of
that river. That doesn't mean that every thought, impression, or
desire within us is God-given, but many of them are. We simply need to
discern the difference.
That's a pretty big challenge, but not an impossible one. In
fact, God would not tell us to rely on His Spirit or listen to His
Spirit if He were not going to enable us to do that and teach us how.
It's ludicrous to think of God giving us an astounding, costly gift
and then leaving us in the dark as to how to access that gift. He
doesn't give light for us to fumble around in obscurity trying to figure
out how to live in it. He gives us remarkable but simple gifts - if
we believe Him. And when we believe, the divine voice resonates
inside of us, flowing through us with the thoughts and desires of God
Himself
Holy Spirit, flow through me like a rushing river, filling me
with dreams and ideas from Your heart. I want more than trickles; I
want torrents. Help me discern the difference between my thoughts and
Yours, but let me not get stuck trying to analyze them. Give me faith
to believe. [The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Bring Me the sacrifice of your time: a most precious commodity.
In this action-addicted world, few of My children take time to sit
quietly in My Presence. But for those who do, blessings flow like
streams of living water. I, the One from whom all blessings flow, am
also blessed by our time together. This is a deep mystery; do not try
to fathom it. Instead, glorify Me by delighting in Me. Enjoy Me now
and forever! (Psa. 21:6; John 7:38; Psa. 103:11) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
Learn to listen to Me even while you are listening to other
people. As they open their souls to your scrutiny, you are on holy
ground. You need the help of My Spirit to respond appropriately. Ask Him
to think through you, live through you, love through you. My own
Being is alive within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit. If you
respond to others' needs through your unaided thought processes, you
offer them dry crumbs. When the Spirit empowers your listening and
speaking, My streams of living water flow through you to other people. Be
a channel of My Love, Joy, and Peace by listening to Me as you
listen to others. (Exo. 3:5; 1Co. 6:19; John 7:38, 39) [Jesus Calling
by Sarah Young]
Come to Me, and rest in My Peace. My Face is shining upon
you, in rays of Peace transcending understanding. Instead of trying
to figure things out yourself, you can relax in the Presence of the
One who knows everything. As you lean on Me in trusting dependence,
you feel peaceful and complete. This is how I designed you to live:
in close communion with Me.
When you are around other people, you tend to cater to their
expectations--real or imagined. You feel enslaved to pleasing them, and your
awareness of My Presence grows dim. Your efforts to win their approval
eventually exhaust you. You offer these people dry crumbs rather than the
living water of My Spirit flowing through you. This is not My way for
you! Stay in touch with Me, even during your busiest moments. Let My
Spirit give you words of grace as you live in the Light of My Peace.
(Phi. 4:6, 7; John 7:38; Eph. 5:18-20) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION AND THOUGHT
Johan is young, tall, blond, and Dutch. I got to know him
through my cousin, who attended the same Bible school in England.
Gifted and handsome, Johan could have carved out a comfortable youth
ministry in his native Netherlands - or most anywhere in the world, for
that matter.
Comfort, however, isn't one of Johan's major goals. He chose
to take the gospel of Christ to the Bedouins and nomads near
Israel's desolate Sinai desert. A forgotten people in one of the most
desolate corners of the world.
Johan works by an oasis near the sea, attracting travelers
and Bedouins by offering hot meals, clothing, and first aid....
From the Bedouins, Johan learned it is considered worse than
murder if you know of a water source and yet neglect to tell your
fellow man.
Few of us will ever live in a wilderness like the one where
young Johan has pitched his tent. Not many among us will ever
proclaim salvation to desert nomads. But all around us, no matter where
we reside or work, there are thirsty men and women. The neighbor
down the street, the man at the service station, the boy who carries
our groceries, the secretary who types and files, or even the
distant aunt who occasionally comes by for visits.
If these people don't know Christ, they're going to die of
thirst...
Do you know the Source of living water? If you do please
don't withhold a drink from somebody who is thirsty.
It's not just a matter of hospitality. It's a matter of life
and death. Joni Eareckson Tada [Time with God SB]
Every true Christian is a living fountain, ever receiving of the
unfailing streams of grace, ever refreshed and ever refreshing those that
are around him. Those who are coworkers with God manifest a
missionary spirit; for they are ever receiving, that they may ever be
giving to others the light and blessing of heaven. CSW66
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110513-1424.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Video Clip: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prophecies Decoded Sermon Series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
