Breathtaking Flow

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit …” John 7:37-39, NASB

Early this week one of my sons suffered from severe food poisoning. I cautioned him to be careful drinking water because sometimes even that can’t be tolerated or kept down. At the same time, the danger of potential dehydration concerned me. But he shared the next day that he had sucked on ice cubes through the night, which greatly helped ease his thirst. Thank the Lord, he survived this incredibly awful experience and now feels back to normal. He retains no desire, however, to partake of any more food offered by the particular establishment where he acquired his illness. I certainly can understand!

Reflecting on my son’s sickness, I’m struck by the spiritual similarities of dehydration. Do you ever crave—like I occasionally do—spiritual refreshment? Are you ever desperate for filling, for vibrancy?

Jesus said, “Come to Me.”

HE is our source for living water. HE possesses all we need for abundant life. While this world offers numerous counterfeits and our flesh yearns for tempting substitutes, no one or nothing else satisfies. Every single person on planet Earth needs Jesus.

Jesus continued His instructions by promising living water, meaning the Holy Spirit. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ most assuredly receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation—He does not come in a future, special way based on our behavior. Rather, the Spirit graciously, powerfully indwells every Christian immediately upon their conversion. (Are you beginning to feel more alert, just a bit more excited about your walk with Christ?)

When we’re immobilized spiritually by lethargy, apathy, or despair, let’s heed Jesus’ words, “Come to Me.” A side-note in my Bible (Key Word Study Bible, AMG Publishers) re-states this phrase as, “keep coming to Me … keep drinking.” Isn’t that beautiful? Indeed, God is the well that never runs dry. He doesn’t quench our thirst one time, then expect us to stay filled the rest of our lives. Continually He invites us to receive the refreshment we daily, desperately long for … in Him. As we repeatedly look to Christ, the Holy Spirit wells up within us and flows out most invigoratingly to people around us. God be praised!

The Christian life isn’t a one-time experience—it’s a rigorous, exhilarating journey. We don’t walk alone, for the LORD is our Shepherd. Yet we must rely on and seek Him for satisfaction. Sadly we sometimes choose instead to feed on sin’s poison and find ourselves pained near the point of dehydration, only able to suck on ice cubes. But even in those dire circumstances, Christ is there … the Holy Spirit remains, gently quenching our thirst and sustaining us. As we repentantly turn to Christ fully acknowledging the error of our ways, we once again experience the breathtaking flow of the Holy Spirit.

Dear friend, I welcome your comment, and others also can be encouraged by your words. How does the Holy Spirit’s filling make a difference in your day and in the lives of those around you?

Soli Deo Gloria,

Emily

photo credit: callumscott2 via photopin cc