JESU JUVA
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 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
I remember one occasion when I became desperate for water. I went bushwalking with two friends in the Blue Mountains. I had a map of the route and led the way.
'It's just a short walk,' I said to my friends. 'Only one hour.'
But in the end, I missed a turning, and one solitary hour walk turned into four gruelling hours. Most of it was uphill, and none of us was prepared. None of us had enough water to drink. By the time we reached the top, all three of us were desperately thirsty.
We found a remote café surrounded by gum trees and entered.
Cakes and other sweet treats must've been on display, but we didn't care about food. Our faces must've been red from exertion and covered in a sweaty glaze, but we didn't care how we looked. We just wanted a drink.
None of us even carried extra cash to purchase drinks from the café fridge - we really were ill-prepared for an arduous journey. We hoped someone inside the café would be merciful and allow tap water to freely pour our way.
The waitress who met us in the café doorway hesitated momentarily at our simple request. After all, we weren't paying customers desiring a seat and sustenance. We just wanted water.
In desperation, pride disappeared, and I admitted it was my fault. 'We took a wrong turn on our bushwalk,' I explained to the waitress. 'I didn't read the map correctly. We weren't prepared for a long, uphill hike.' I didn't care what she thought; I just wanted her to give us free tap water.
In the end, the waitress took pity on us because we looked hot and bothered and sounded desperate. She waved her hand towards a glass jug brimming with crystal clear water. I guzzled glass after glass, and so did my friends.
The water tasted beautifully sweet when we were desperately thirsty.
Has life's journey, with its uphill battles, made you thirsty?
Are you thirsty to find satisfaction in this life?
Are you thirsty to be purified from the sinful behaviour which dominates your life?
Are you desperate to satisfy your thirst?
Are you thirsty to know the Lord?
God hears the desperate prayer. The Psalmists called out to God over and over again because they knew our Father hears heartfelt cries.
Cry to Him in your desperation, in whatever situation you face today. Find a quiet place: a cupboard, a bedroom, a garden, the car, anywhere you can and cry out to him. Come in the name of Jesus Christ, the living Son, and tell the Father how thirsty you are.
If you are conscious of a spiritual thirst for God, Jesus invites you to come. The only way for that spiritual thirst to be quenched is to make a conscious choice to come to him. If you do, Jesus promises to pour living water into your life that never runs out: the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force, and Jesus sends him as a gift to help us in our weaknesses.
Are you thirsty inside?
Only the power and presence of God will satisfy.
“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry…”
Psalm 10:17
SOLI DEO GLORIA
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 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
I remember one occasion when I became desperate for water. I went bushwalking with two friends in the Blue Mountains. I had a map of the route and led the way.
'It's just a short walk,' I said to my friends. 'Only one hour.'
But in the end, I missed a turning, and one solitary hour walk turned into four gruelling hours. Most of it was uphill, and none of us was prepared. None of us had enough water to drink. By the time we reached the top, all three of us were desperately thirsty.
We found a remote café surrounded by gum trees and entered.
Cakes and other sweet treats must've been on display, but we didn't care about food. Our faces must've been red from exertion and covered in a sweaty glaze, but we didn't care how we looked. We just wanted a drink.
None of us even carried extra cash to purchase drinks from the café fridge - we really were ill-prepared for an arduous journey. We hoped someone inside the café would be merciful and allow tap water to freely pour our way.
The waitress who met us in the café doorway hesitated momentarily at our simple request. After all, we weren't paying customers desiring a seat and sustenance. We just wanted water.
In desperation, pride disappeared, and I admitted it was my fault. 'We took a wrong turn on our bushwalk,' I explained to the waitress. 'I didn't read the map correctly. We weren't prepared for a long, uphill hike.' I didn't care what she thought; I just wanted her to give us free tap water.
In the end, the waitress took pity on us because we looked hot and bothered and sounded desperate. She waved her hand towards a glass jug brimming with crystal clear water. I guzzled glass after glass, and so did my friends.
The water tasted beautifully sweet when we were desperately thirsty.
Has life's journey, with its uphill battles, made you thirsty?
Are you thirsty to find satisfaction in this life?
Are you thirsty to be purified from the sinful behaviour which dominates your life?
Are you desperate to satisfy your thirst?
Are you thirsty to know the Lord?
God hears the desperate prayer. The Psalmists called out to God over and over again because they knew our Father hears heartfelt cries.
Cry to Him in your desperation, in whatever situation you face today. Find a quiet place: a cupboard, a bedroom, a garden, the car, anywhere you can and cry out to him. Come in the name of Jesus Christ, the living Son, and tell the Father how thirsty you are.
If you are conscious of a spiritual thirst for God, Jesus invites you to come. The only way for that spiritual thirst to be quenched is to make a conscious choice to come to him. If you do, Jesus promises to pour living water into your life that never runs out: the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force, and Jesus sends him as a gift to help us in our weaknesses.
Are you thirsty inside?
Only the power and presence of God will satisfy.
“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry…”
Psalm 10:17
SOLI DEO GLORIA
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