John 7:38-39, “38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
Could you imagine being alive during the time of Jesus when He spoke these powerful words? The Jewish people were celebrating the “Feast of Booths,” which was a festival to remember the time of wondering in the desert in tents. On the last and greatest day of the festival they had a tradition of pouring out water on the altar in Jerusalem and would quote Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
While this water was running down the altar Jesus stood up and said the verses above for all to hear. He was basically saying, “Your time of wondering in the dry desert is over, I will now make you the temple of God and flow the rivers of the Spirit through you and you will never be thirsty again!” Thus, the first purpose of the rivers of living water in our souls and spirits is to refresh and satisfy our inner thirst.
Second, not only do rivers provide drinking water for the people around them, but they also provide power. People for generations have been utilizing the power of water with such things as water wheels and damns. The Hoover Damn, built around the Colorado River, can produce more than 4 billion kilowatt hours a year capable of serving over 1 million people. Now try to imagine the spiritual power God’s rivers (plural) can produce in your life!
Therefore, Jesus never considered the Spirit filled life an “optional upgrade,” it was and is His best life for all believers. I challenge you today to be filled with the rivers of living water!
Reflection
Action
- Ask God to fill you with His rivers of living water.
- Receive the refreshing rivers of God’s love and salvation, as well as the power that comes from their flow.
- Let God’s rivers of living water flow through you to the world around you!
