John 7:37-38 Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink”……
Each Saturday for the last ten weeks I have cycled 20 miles as a way of keeping fit. I wear my cycling top and shorts as well as special shoes with cleats on. I always have a crash helmet, cycling gloves and sunglasses, but for me one of the most important things that I take with me is a water bottle. The first half hour of the ride is all up hill, and the most difficult and last part of the hill is very steep. What keeps me going on, is that I can stop at the very top and drink from the water bottle. That drink at the top of the hill is a wonderful experience. I stop for just a little while and enjoy the moment.
When Jesus said these words on the last day of the feast, he caught the attention of the people listening, because they understood the need to have their thirst quenched in that dry and dusty part of Israel. He was talking about receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled to overflowing. He did not just want them to experience a nice little bit of refreshment, but wanted them to have rivers of living water flowing through them.
Yesterday evening, after a lovely day seeing people in Swindon, I was invited to speak to a group of youth from our Henley Church on “Does God Heal Today”? After reading a few scriptures on healing and recounting a few stories we were able to pray for them, at a distance of course. It was clear that things were happening. They felt power running through their knees, ankles and backs and pain leaving. There was a wonderful buzz as we finished, because they had experienced the overflow of God’s blessing.
Jesus wanted rivers of living water to flow out to others once we had received our drink from him. He did not want it, just to stay as a personal thing. It might be good to think how we can allow our words and prayers to flow out to others today.
As the scripture goes on to say “Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him”.
Let’s look to be a people who receive the living waters of His Spirit, whilst also allowing those living waters to flow out from us, to others
