Tag: John 7:37-39
Streams of Living Water!
Scripture reading for October 31 : John 6-8
Thirst is a great motivator! When we were farming in Iowa, picking up hay bales on a humid summer afternoon with no breeze really worked up a thirst. The ones working in the barn had a “thirsty” job as well. Another job was cutting sunflowers out of the soybean fields with a machete. We had one farm with half-mile rows. It would be a mile up and back. In the hot summer sun, I would be thirsty before I got to the far end of the field. I knew that I would have to cut my way back to the water jug. It was a good motivator for the whole crew to work faster and make it back!
“On 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. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living waster will flow from within him.” “By 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.” John 7:37-39
On this last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the custom was to get two large jars of water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out as an offering before the Lord at the temple. It was probably at this time that Jesus stood up and spoke to the crowd. He invited those that were spiritually thirsty to come to Him. He promised if they would drink of His life, a life-giving stream of “living water” would flow from within them. John interprets this prophetic Word of Jesus as referring to the Holy Spirit being poured out after Jesus’ ascension. The Holy Spirit would be a life-giving spring that would bring rivers of refreshing and life to those who would believe on Jesus and receive the Spirit as the Father’s blessing!
Are you “thirsty” from your hard work and labors in this sin-filled world? Has keeping the Law of God worn you out? Do you need a rest and refreshing? Jesus calls for us to come to Him for the relief we need. He was glorified as He ascended into heaven and was seated at God’s right hand. He poured out the Spirit on the day of Pentecost! He alone is the source of this spring of special “living water”, obtained by faith in Jesus Christ. That should motivate you to ‘believe’ your way back to the source and take a long drink! Living water: there’s no other drink like it to quench thirst for God!
Sunday rest: Thirst quencher!
Dear Friends, Greetings on another day of rest! Summer is a time of heat and humidity in Kansas! Every time you work or play outside, you work up a thirst! It is easy to get dehydrated because of sweating and fluid loss. Plenty of water is needed to stay hydrated and healthy. But there’s another kind of thirst described by Isaiah. Isaiah 55 is a prophetic call to those who are thirsty. This thirst is not just for water, but thirst for the love of God and intimacy with Him. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1) The fare God offered didn’t cost money but it wasn’t totally free either!
Listening to God is one of the ‘costs’ that Isaiah lists as essential to enjoying the banquet of love with the Lord. We must come to the Lord and listen to His Word. We must hear what He says and obey. We must be careful not to spend our money on that which is not bread. (Isaiah 55:2-3) Many people today are investing their time, money, and labor on frivolous pursuits that won’t count for anything in eternity. They are seeking pleasure from things and living for their flesh. Seeking the Lord first should be the priority of our lives. (Matthew 6:38) (Isaiah 55:6) In the Lord is the finest of pleasures and delightful satisfaction of our hunger and thirst!
In Isaiah 55:7 God calls those who are living in wickedness and evil to join the feast by repentance and dependence on God’s mercy. God does not desire to punish anyone but rather have them enjoy the ever-lasting covenant of his faithful love. (Isaiah 55:4) His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways are beyond our ways. He has spoken a Word of mercy to all who will call on Him. Like the rain and snow coming from heaven to water the earth, so His Word will accomplish His purposes! (Isaiah 55:10-11)
God’s promises can quench your thirst! They are obtained by faith. They are given by God because of His faithful love and everlasting covenant through our Lord Jesus Christ! “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified.” John 7:37-39 May your thirst be quenched by drinking from Jesus today! In His Love, Pastor John
Let the River flow!
Scripture reading for October 24th: John 7, Psalm 62, Proverbs 26
John 7:37-39 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this He said about the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
It was the Feast of Pentecost and Jesus attended. It was the custom, on the last day, to pour out big jars of water from the spring of Siloam to commemorate the giving of the Law and God supplying the water from the Rock for the children of Israel. As they poured out the water, Jesus stood up and proclaimed to the crowd assembled, (and to us) that anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and drink. This would result in a release of a ‘river of living water’ from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was to be given after Jesus was crucified and glorified. This ‘living water’ would flow from hearts that were filled with God’s Spirit. It would result in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of worship and prophesy flowing. The world treasures gossip and slander, but those believing in Jesus have a flow of prophetic worship and praise!
Psalm 62:7-8 “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty Rock, my Refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit that You give freely to all who believe on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Forgive me for allowing the world’s whispering to go into my inner being. Fill me afresh today with the Holy Spirit as I draw near to You through Jesus Christ. He is my Mighty Rock in the wilderness of this world, a Refuge I can pour out my heart to in Spirit-filled prayer! Amen!
Proverbs 26:22 “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.”
The Fountain of Life!
Scripture reading for April 15th: John 7, Psalm 75, Proverbs 13
Key Scriptures: John 7:37-39 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'” Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles where on the last day the tradition was to get two jars of water from the pool of Siloam and pour them out before the Lord as a remembrance of God supplying water from the rock during the Israelites’ wilderness experience. Jesus called Israel to look to Him and believe in Him to quench their spiritual thirst. He promised ‘rivers of living water’ as those who believed in Him were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Faith Confession: I believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Spirit satisfies my thirst and empowers me to proclaim the good news of Jesus, Son of God and Savior.
Proverbs 13:14 “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” vs. 25 “The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.”
Rejoicing in Living Water!
Scripture reading for March 3rd: Joshua 14-17
Key Scriptures: Joshua 15:18-19 “One day when she (Acsah, Caleb’s daughter) came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.”
Caleb had given his daughter to Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, because he had possessed the land occupied by one of the giants in Judah’s inheritance. His daughter desired to have the springs of water in that dry land and asked for them as part of her inheritance. Caleb gave her the springs!
Rejoice in springs of living water: Jesus promised that if anyone came to Him, and drank, out of their inmost being would flow rivers of living water! “On 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. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” (John 7:37-39)
Anyone Thirsty?
Scripture reading for April 14th: John 7
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 7:37-39 “On 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. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.” By 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.”
Jesus was attending the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three times Jewish men were required to come before the Lord in Jerusalem. This feast celebrated the completion of the harvest and commemorated the Israelites” desert wandering where God miraculously supplied water for all from the rock. The custom was to pour out jars of water before the Lord and when they were doing that, Jesus stood up and made the declaration that anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and drink! The result would be a spring of ‘living water’ welling up within! Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would come into believers after His resurrection!
Observations for over-comers: G0d”s people, who are over-comers, are thirsty for the Living God! We go to Jesus and drink our fill! It becomes a flowing spring inside us! “O God, You are My God, earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)