Tag: living water
The River of Life!
Scripture reading for December 28th: Zechariah 11-14, Revelation 22
Key Scriptures: Revelation 22:1-4 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face and His Name will be on their foreheads.”
John’s concluding chapter begins with a vision of the river of the water of life. It flowed from the throne of God and the Lamb and the tree of life was growing on its banks. The fruit was new every month, twelve kinds! The leaves were for healing of the nations. The water was crystal clear and pure, a source of refreshing and eternal life!
Zechariah 14:8-9 “On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be One and His Name One.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I long to see You face to face! Thank You for giving understanding to Your people through the prophesies of Scripture. We long to drink the living water and eat of the tree of life! Jesus, You are the source of eternal satisfaction! Amen.
Recovering all!
Scripture reading for April 13th: 1 Samuel 27-29, John 7
Key Scriptures: 1st Samuel 30:18-19 “David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought it all back.”
While living in Philistine territory in Ziklag, David and his men were out preparing to fight with the Philistines. When they were sent home, the Amalekites had come and stolen all their wives and children as well as their goods. David inquired of the Lord and got direction to go after the Amalekites. God granted him victory and he recovered all the captive family and goods.
John 7:37-38 “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.'”
Prayer: Holy Father, thank You for sending Your Son to recover all Your lost sons and daughters from enemy captivity. May all come to Him and drink His life-giving Water! Amen.
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)
Woman at the well!
Scripture reading for May 5th: John 4:4-42
Jesus chose a path back to Galilee through Samaria, stopping at the town of Sychar, near Jacob’s well. The Samaritans were mixed Jews whose ancestors had intermarried with the Assyrian people used to repopulate the area around 722 BC. For a Jewish man to be seen talking to a Samaritan would have been scandalous. To be seen talking to a Samaritan woman would have been unthinkable. While the disciples were away getting something for lunch, Jesus Christ had an encounter at this famous well with a Samaritan woman that brought new life to her and her neighbors!
At about noon, Jesus was resting by this well when a woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give Me a drink?” The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink? (For Jews don’t associate with Samaritans.)” Jesus answered her, “If you knew that Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:7-10) Jesus initiated a conversation with this woman and she was taken aback.
Jesus sparked her interest with a statement about living water and the gift of God. She tried to understand how He would be able to get this water without anything to draw it out with. She asked Jesus if He were greater than Jacob, who dug the well and drank from it. Jesus then told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Jesus was interested in this woman’s soul and drew her to request this living water. He then gently told her about her past and she changed the subject. In the course of the conversation about where to worship, the woman stated that she knew the Messiah would explain everything when He came. Jesus revealed a special truth to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26) This woman left her water jar and ran to tell her friends and neighbors! Jesus loved this Samaritan woman and desired to have her in the Father’s kingdom! Living water draws a crowd!
The woman at the well
Scripture reading for May 5th: John 4:4-42
Jesus chose a path back to Galilee through Samaria, stopping at the town of Sychar near Jacob’s well. The Samaritans were mixed Jews whose ancestors had intermarried with the Assyrian people used to repopulate the area around 722 BC. For a Jewish man to be seen talking to a Samaritan would have been scandalous. To be seen talking to a Samaritan woman would have been unthinkable. While the disciples were away getting something for lunch, Jesus Christ had an encounter at this famous well with a Samaritan woman that brought new life to her and her neighbors!
At about noon, Jesus was resting by this well when a woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give Me a drink?” The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink? (For Jews don’t associate with Samaritans.)” Jesus answered her, “If you knew that Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:7-10) Jesus initiated a conversation with this woman and she was taken aback.
Jesus sparked her interest with a statement about living water and the gift of God. She tried to understand how He would be able to get this water without anything to draw it out with. She asked Jesus if He were greater than Jacob, who dug the well and drank from it. Jesus then told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Jesus was interested in this woman’s soul and drew her to request this living water. He then gently told her about her past and she changed the subject. In the course of the conversation about where to worship, the woman stated that she knew the Messiah would explain everything when He came. Jesus revealed a special truth to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26) This woman left her water jar and ran to tell her friends and neighbors! Jesus loved this Samaritan woman and desired to have her in the Father’s kingdom! Living water draws a crowd!
Streams of Living Water
Scripture reading for November 2nd: John 6-8
Thirst is a great motivator! When we were farming in Iowa, during the hot summers we had some jobs that made us very thirsty. Picking up hay bales on a humid afternoon with no breeze really worked up a thirst. The ones working in the barn out of the breeze 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 7:39-39
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. 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 that 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 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”. This water is obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! There is no other means of obtaining it! That should motivate you to work your way back to the source and take a long drink! Living water: there’s no other drink quite like it!