RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

Pastor at Jackson Church of the Nazarene

Water in Israel is very scarce. We're told that an hour's water over Niagara Falls would be enough to supply all the state of Israel for one full year. There are only two rivers is Israel. One, of course, is a very popular river that is known as the Jordan River. Then there is another small river around Tel Aviv that's really nothing more than a creek.

Jesus stood in Jerusalem on the last day of the great feast and He said, "He that believeth in me out of his inward part shall flow rivers of living water." We are told that He was speaking of the Holy Spirit. This river will come from within. It's not dependent on outward circumstances. Jesus said this river of living water will flow from within us, not depending upon our outward circumstances as a source of supply.

Jesus said that this was a river of water. Oh! What a beautiful picture this is! The picture of a river! There's something about a river that's beautiful to me. I have seen the Mississippi River in three different states. That mighty river always impresses me. Jesus said, "Out of our inward parts there will flow a river." There is something that says, here is an abundance. Here's plenty of the water that you need. Jesus said it's not going to be a little stream. From within you will flow rivers--not just a river-but rivers of living water.

This is life-giving water that Jesus is talking about. You remember that when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well He said, "Give me a drink," and she said, "Why do you ask me, you being a Jew and I'm a Samaritan?" But Jesus said, "If you will ask me I will give you a drink of living water so that you would never thirst again." Jesus was speaking of course, of the spiritual water of life that He brings to us and, thank God, what a wonderful joy it is to partake of this water of life.

In this passage, Jesus lays down the requirements for receiving this water. He said, "If any man thirst," and here is the first step- we must have a desire for the Lord. We mut have within our hearts something that craves for the water of life. We must be lost before we can be found. We must be hungry before we can be filled. We must be thirsty before that thirst can be quenched. We must realize that we are sinful before we can become righteous. Jesus said, "If any man thirst." He was speaking there in Jerusalem to a lot of people that day who evidently were not thirsty, for they refused Him. He came as the Light of the World, but they chose to stay in darkness. he came as the Bread of Life, but they chose to hunger on. He came as the Water of Life, but they chose to thirst on still.

Jesus also said that we must put forth an effort. He said, "Let him come to Me." It's not enough to be thirsty, you must go to the water supply. It's not enough to realize you're lost, you must go to the one who can find you. You must not just realize how sinful you are, you must come to the one who can make you righteous.

Jesus said that after we come to Him all we must do is drink. We don't have to pay for the water, it is already there. We don't have to make the plan of salvation. The plan of salvation has already been made! All we have to do is come. Won't you come to Him today? Won't you drink of this water? Don't thirst on anymore. Jesus is calling you now.

(Taken from John 7:37-39)