If you thirst, come to Jesus. This has never been truer than in the world we live in. The words Jesus spoke nearly 2000 years ago in the Gospel of John still call out to thirsty sinners today. John 7:37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ”[1]
The ways of the world and false religions try to fill us, but when we drink from that cup, it only leaves us empty. Perhaps you’ve experienced drinking from the empty cup the world offers, but now you’re responding to God’s call to come to Him. Or possibly, as a believer, the Lord is calling you into a deeper relationship with Him, and you are thirsting for more of Him.
Psalm 42:1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? [2] As we come to God, drink from His word, and deepen our relationship with Him, He begins to transform our hearts.
Jesus Comes to Us to Provide Spiritual Water
In many ways, Jesus is like a divine paramedic who comes to those dying of spiritual thirst. I like this image because it illustrates that Jesus comes to us. John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.[3] It is often in desperation that we put aside our pride and call out to Jesus, knowing we have come to the end of ourselves.
As Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles, they celebrated the time when God protected their ancestors during their journey across the wilderness to the Promised Land. On their journey, the Lord provided manna from heaven and, on one occasion, water from a rock, as recorded in Exodus 17:1-7.
Because the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness, if God had not provided for manna and water, they would not have survived the journey. In God’s mercy, the manna from heaven and water from a rock on this occasion serve as an excellent lesson on how much we need the Lord. As Jesus spoke to the people, it was the perfect moment to invite them to come to Him if they were thirsty.
Thirst Implies Our Need
Our bodies are amazing as they naturally crave water to stay hydrated. Spiritually, God has instilled a thirst for Him in every person. Unfulfilled thirst lingers. As the Lord pursues us, our desire for Him grows. Jesus tells us this in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:6God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. [4]
Do you hunger for more of God? If so, remember this is the work of God in your heart. Respond to your inner desires to grow in your relationship with Him! Take the Lord’s hand and let Him fill you with His living water. If you thirst, come to Jesus. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/jesus-said-i-am-the-light-of-the-world
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.