Today's Reading: Old Testament: Exodus 21-22
New Testament: John 7
Focus Verses: John 7:37-39
37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Insight:
Jesus stands up on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles and offers "living water" for all who are thirsty. He says, "Come to me and drink." He promises that belief in him will result in a stream of living water flowing from within the believer. "From" and "within!" The Spirit that Jesus was offering would well up within the innermost part of the believer's being and flow outward.
Response and Action:
Faith in Jesus is the solution for my thirsty heart. How can I come to Jesus and drink? I can come to before him in worship and surrender. I can read and take in his teachings recorded in scripture. I can reflect on his many interactions with people recorded in the gospels. I can call out to him in prayer. I can obey him, heed his warnings, cling to his promises, and follow his example. For years and years I have coming to Jesus in these ways and I have indeed found cool water for my soul.
Oh God, thank you for Jesus. Keep the cool and living water of the Spirit he gives flowing in my being. May that stream not only satisfy my thirst, may it also flow out of me and be a source of life and hope to everyone around me. Help me to be a blessing to my family, friends, and neighbors through the living stream of your Spirit. Amen.
Proverbs: 15:30
30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Resources:
Streams of Living Water
by Richard Foster
