John 7:37-39 - Are You Thirsty?
John 7:37-39 (NLT) On the last day, the
climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to
the crowds, Anyone who is thirsty may come to
me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and
drink! For the Scriptures declare, Rivers of
living water will flow from his heart. 39
(When he said living water, he was speaking
of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone
believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been
given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his
glory.)
COMMENTARY PEARL
As a new beekeeper, I had to provide a
safe water source for the bees. Before I took on
this duty I thought, No problem. There's a lake
just down the lane. Turns out it was more
complicated. Bees can't drink from just any body of
water. Top-heavy, they flip over and drown in deep
water. Without a safe source, they'll go elsewhere
- your neighbor's dog bowl or puddles.
Thirsty, wandering bees wouldn't endear themselves to
my neighbors.
First, I tried a birdbath. The bees
checked it out, but rain overfilled it. I drowned
some bees before my dog broke the birdbath. I
tried dripping water onto a board under a spigot,
but couldn't maintain the low flow. I finally
found an automatic dog water bowl and filled it
with rocks. The water level remains constant and
the bees cling to the rock "islands" while they
drink.
Water is life's most urgent need. My bees
routinely risked everything for it. Jesus craved it
during dusty ministry days and on the Cross when He
cried, "I thirst!"
Thirst can be a gift, making us seek out
what we need. Jesus's invitation at the festival
was prophesied by Isaiah, "Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink - even if you have no money!
It's all free Come to me with your ears wide
open. Listen, and you will find life" (Isaiah
55:1-3, NLT).
Jesus knows how to meet our needs. He
said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6, NIV).
He's our safe supply. by Suzanne Davenport
Tietjen
Faith Step: Remember a time when you were
thirsty. Offer a prayer of thanks each time you drink
today. [Mornings With Jesus 2018 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Water for Your Soul
Where do you find water for the soul?
Jesus gave an answer one October day in Jerusalem.
People had packed the streets for the annual
reenactment of the rock-giving-water miracle of Moses.
Each morning a priest filled a golden pitcher
with water from the Gihon spring and carried it
down a people-lined path to the temple. He did
this every day, once a day, for seven days. On
the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts,
let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart
will flow rivers of living water (John
7:37-38).
He stood and shouted (NLT). The
traditional rabbinic teaching posture was sitting and
speaking. But Jesus stood up and shouted out. Forget a
kind clearing of the throat. God was pounding his
gavel on heavens bench. Christ demanded
attention.
He shouted because his time was short.
The sand in the neck of his hourglass was down
to measurable grains. In six months he'd be
dragging a cross through these streets. And the
people? The people thirsted. They needed water, not
for their throats, but for their hearts. So
Jesus invited: Are your insides starting to
shrivel? Drink me.
Internalize him. Ingest him. Welcome him
into the inner workings of your life. Let Christ
be the water of your soul.
Toward this end, I give you this tool: a
prayer for the thirsty heart. Carry it just as a
cyclist carries a water bottle. The prayer outlines
four essential fluids for soul hydration: Gods
work, Gods energy, his lordship, and his love.
Youll find the prayer easy to remember. Just think
of the word W-E-L-L.
Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to
receive. I receive your work on the cross and in your
resurrection. My sins are pardoned, and my death is
defeated. I receive your energy. Empowered by your
Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ,
who gives me strength. I receive your lordship.
I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that
hasnt passed through you. And I receive your love.
Nothing can separate me from your love.
Dont you need regular sips from
Gods reservoir? I do. Ive offered this prayer
in countless situations: stressful meetings,
dull days, long drives, demanding trips,
character-testing decisions. Many times a day I step to the
underground spring of God and receive anew his work for
my sin and death, the energy of his Spirit, his
lordship, and his love.
Drink with me from his bottomless well.
You dont have to live with a dehydrated
heart.
Receive Christs
work on the cross,
the energy of his Spirit,
his lordship over your life,
his unending, unfailing love.
Drink deeply and often. And out of you
will flow rivers of living water. [Max Lucado
Daily Devotional at maxlucado.com]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Be still, and know that I am God. Most
Christians are familiar with this command, but not so
many take it seriously. Yet for those who do,
blessings flow like streams of living water. As these
believers sit in stillness - focusing on Me and My
Word - their perception of Me expands and their
troubles shrink in importance.
I want you to share in these blessings,
beloved. Take time, take time with Me. While you rest
in My Presence, I untangle your thoughts and
help you view things more biblically. Remember:
My Word is a lamp to guide your feet and a
light for your path. Biblical thinking illuminates
the path before you so you can find your way.
It's crucial to know not only that I am
God but that I made you and you are Mine. You
are a sheep of My pasture. Sheep have very
limited understanding of what their shepherd is
doing for them, but they follow him anyway.
Similarly, as My "sheep," your job is to trust Me and
follow wherever I lead. (Psa. 46:10; Joh. 7:38;
Psa. 119:105; 100:3) [Jesus Always by Sarah
Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150602-1052.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
