Drink Deep
Opening Prayer
“Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me” (Daniel Iverson, 1890–1977).
Read John 7:25–44
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
37 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. 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. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I have to offer—my thirst” (John Piper).The Festival of Tabernacles involved a water ceremony celebrating the provision of water in the desert and recalling God’s promise through Isaiah to satisfy thirst (Isaiah 55:1 and 12:3 were sung during the ceremony). Jesus uses this as an opportunity to speak about the refreshing and
reviving work of the Holy Spirit.
Without the Holy Spirit it’s impossible for us to come to faith or pursue holiness. He is God’s “power in action” (R. C. Sproul) in our lives. He’s a seal of God’s ownership of us and a deposit of eternal hope within (2 Cor. 1:22). He brings freedom and leads us into all truth, helps us resist sin and makes what we do in service to God authoritative and abundantly impactful. He gives us gifts to build the church effectively, helps us pray fervently in line with God’s will and unlocks spiritual chains when we tell others about Jesus.
What has your experience of the Holy Spirit been? Has he been like a river bursting out of you? Ephesians 5:18, usually translated “be filled with the Spirit,” is a command to us to seek an ongoing overflow of God’s presence! For a river to flow powerfully it takes a lot of water, but we’ll never exhaust God’s supply!
Apply
Contact someone who’s weary and strengthen them from the refreshment you’ve received today.
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, fill me until I overflow with Your living water.
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