“Oh
Mom, I’m dying of thirst!” Coming
in from outside on a hot summer's day, have you ever gasped these words?
I am sure it didn’t happen just once, but time after time after
time throughout the hot summer days your mother heard the same desperate
cry. A
refreshing,
cold drink would always be ready and you would be quickly revived.
The
need for water is one of the most basic needs of mankind.
Thirst is something we have all experienced and understand.
We may survive for an extended period of time without food, but
we cannot live without water.
Jesus,
a master storyteller used parables and illustrations when he taught so
that even children could understand his lessons.
On several occasions he described our spiritual condition in
terms of thirst. One of the
most powerful lessons he gave was on the last and most important day of
the Feast of the Tabernacles. Before
leaving their homes, the crowd gathered in the synagogue to hear the
final teachings and readings of Scripture.
John
records that Jesus stood up and began to speak in a loud voice, “If a
man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
It was not a complex statement and no one in that multitude could
say his words were too deep, or too hard to understand.
The entire sentence can be condensed into three words: thirsty,
come, drink.
Thirsty!
It is a strong word. It
signifies an intense craving, a desperate need.
Thirst is not a ‘take it or leave it’ feeling.
If we are thirsty, we must
have a drink.
There
were many in the crowd that day that had a passive experience with God.
They knew about Him and dutifully fulfilled their religious
rituals. But they were
content with life as it was. They
were not thirsty.
But Jesus knew there were others who did long for a more
meaningful relationship with God. And
so He spoke to them: “If
any man has a strong desire, an intense craving to know God, listen and
I’ll tell you what to do.”
Come!
Come is one of the simplest words in our language.
It is an inviting word, a welcoming word. “Come in,” we say
to our friends, or “Come over!”
It is a word that reaches out to offer comfort, compassion, or
love. Little children
understand it early in life. So
Jesus extended the invitation to anyone who longed to know God better.
“Come,” he said. “Come
to ME”.
Drink!
Rushing desperately into the kitchen, “dying for a drink” we
don’t just take a glass of water in our hands and just stare at it.
Of course we drink it, every drop! We
absorb it with delight! Anyone
who has experienced deep thirst knows this feeling of utter
satisfaction, often accompanied by an "Ahhhhhhh!"
The
same applies in a spiritual sense.
It is not enough to hear about Jesus to give mental assent to His
claims. We must receive Him
into our lives. When Jesus
met the woman at the well (John chapter 4), He spoke to her of living
water – water that would become a spring, bubbling up within her.
Now, a few days later, He explained to the multitude, “Whoever believes
in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water
shall flow from within him.”
Have
you become aware of a deep thirst for God?
Do you want to take a "drink of the living water?"
Are you thirsty? -
then come and drink.
Come to Jesus and experience the joy and peace that only He can
give. Experience the
fountain of living water continually bubbling up within you.
What Jesus said is true: “Whosoever
drinks the water that I give him will never thirst again”
(John 4:4)
Other
scripture reading: Isaiah
12:3; Isaiah 44:3; John 4:4-14; John 1:12, 13
There
is some Good News waiting just for you!
If
you have made a decision today and prayed to invite Jesus into your
heart and life or if you would like some further information we would
like to hear from you. You
can email me at blessed1s_oasis@hotmail.com
or any of the other members of the JLM Ministry
team.
