John 7:37-38 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “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.’”
Thirsty? Come! Drink! Believe! Be overflowing.
The great day of the feast was the high point of the celebration. The priests brought water from the pool of Siloam and poured it out on the altar. The Feast of Tabernacles was a remembrance of God giving the Israelites water and manna in the desert after He delivered them from the Egyptians. It was a celebration of joy. The stage was set. Perhaps you can imagine being there and your thirst being triggered by the water being poured out. It was probably at that moment that Jesus made the declaration, “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.’”
He was appealing not to a physical thirst, but to a spiritual thirst. Jesus gave clear directions. If you are thirsty for eternal life, come and drink. What did He mean? He made that clear. To come and drink is to believe in Him as God’s provision of living water and bread from heaven. It is to believe in Him as our hope of deliverance from the bondage of sin and death.
Jesus made a wonderful promise—the promise of transformation. Instead of looking for satisfaction from things and people of this world, believers find satisfaction flowing from within, making them a source of living water to the thirsty people of the world. I hope you can see this reality embodied in the three foundation worldview truths that I’ve repeated throughout this podcast.
There is one God from whom are all things, and He is love.
Jesus’ love is enough. His love and will satisfy my soul.
God’s purpose in all things is to reveal Jesus Christ in me.
Those who believe in Jesus and abide in Him, think like Him. They believe what He believes, and the result is an overflow of His life into this world of thirsty people. Every day that we live in that reality, we are celebrating and experiencing what the Feast of Tabernacles commemorated. We should be filled with joy, as Jesus said after calling His disciples to believe and love with Him. It’s recorded in John 15:11-13.
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Thirsty? Come! Drink! Believe! Be overflowing. Rejoice!
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
