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)
Have you ever had a dream so vivid that it has stayed with you forever? There are several examples in the Bible of God speaking to individuals in dreams.
Some, like Jacob’s dream of the ladder reaching into heaven, were more or less easy to understand. Others, like the young Joseph’s sheaves of wheat (Genesis 37:5-11), require more interpretation.
This devotional was inspired by a dream I had over ten years ago. I had entered through the gates of The Vintage Club, down the date palm-lined road to a stop.
There is a breathless view over a beautiful lake and mountain backdrop, where I had to turn right towards the clubhouse.
As I turned onto the next street, a river of water was flowing from the adjacent homes onto the road and continuing across to the next property. The road was flowing with so much water; I couldn’t go any further.
Perhaps this was a sign from God that the teaching that Jeffrey Cranford was doing there was changing lives. Or, was it a message for me? After waking, I wasn’t sure, but it remains vivid in my mind to this day.
John 7:37 is a profound invitation from Jesus to come to Him for spiritual fulfillment, like a drink of “living water.” The verse’s meaning lies in its metaphorical invitation for anyone who is spiritually “thirsty” to believe in Him and find lasting satisfaction in Him as the source of eternal life.
Living here in the desert, we can get thirsty in the physical sense, but there are many spiritually thirsty people living in the country clubs around here and throughout the country.
Verse 38 promises that if you believe in Him, you will have “living water,” a metaphor for the Holy Spirit that believers receive by faith.
Jesus connects his message to one of the rituals, the pouring of water, during the Jewish festival “Sukkot.” He reveals himself as the fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies. “Drinking” from Jesus is an act of believing in Him and trusting Him as the source of salvation and spiritual life.
The promise is that believers will not only be satisfied but will also have “rivers of living water” flowing from within them, symbolizing the Spirit’s life-giving presence and the ability to share that life with others.
Prayer: We want to be flowing with the Holy Spirit in all we do. Distractions can take the “river of water” away from us in this life. Help us to stay hydrated! Let us be full of water and help the thirsty ones in the desert of life.