“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” By this He spoke of the Spirit.” John 7:37-39a (NASB)

I drove through an arid and dry landscape marked with sagebrush. A large and swift river ran through it. All that water! But the land remained parched. Then, in the distance I could see blocks of green like the squares of a giant patchwork quilt. As I got closer it became clear that irrigation lines were giving life to otherwise barren fields.

What a vivid picture of our lives! Every person has a deep thirst for health, purpose, and meaning. Yet there is a void, a dryness that touches the remote regions of each person. Just as the spring rain brings some level of relief, a project or a goal might bring life for a season. But a shower of self-effort will only bring temporary results. The dryness and thirst return. The cry of the heart resurfaces: There must be more to life than this.

Only when we are connected to God, the ultimate source, is our deep thirst satisfied and rich fruitfulness the result.

God’s Spirit in the believer brings “rivers of living water” that are unlimited and give abundant and eternal life. Just as the river runs through a dry and thirsty land with little noticeable impact, in the same way, the Spirit in our lives can have limited impact without our daily yielding to His power and influence. The rich fruitfulness of God’s Spirit in someone who yields to Jesus daily is in stark contrast to the barrenness of the Christian who lives a dry and self-reliant existence.

Lord Jesus, I yield each area of my life to You and confess my self-effort as pride. Direct and empower my actions today. May your Spirit create a profound transformation in my life resulting in the fruit of Your Spirit being displayed in my life. Amen.

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Count your Blessings
•  Fully Surrender to the Lord
•  Salvation Explained

The post A River Runs Through Me can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.” Psalms 1:3 (NJB)

There is a river that flows from the throne of God, down the celestial main street and into the hearts of those who believe in the lamb (Revelation 22). And then the river flows like streams of living water from within those who are one with Jesus (John 7).

We hear the river whispering, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37, NIV) We feel its moisture hanging cool in the air, and we stretch and then we stretch again to reach the river’s edge.

It woos us to dwell within it, to dig deep with determined roots, gnarled fingers inching, bit by bit, toward the source of life. Our thirst brings us to the river and in the river we abide. We hear its song, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4, NKJV)

In the river we abide and living water flows inside – of us — and in this God-nurtured state, we no longer need the sun-splotched leaves of cynicism or the lifeless branches of sin that drain away the Jesus joy within us.

In the river, our counsel now comes from deep unto deep. Rooted in the river, we stand firm in spite the storms and we sip sweetly in times of drought. Otherwise, we would simply blow away or burn up when faced with the dry and dusty, nasty, now-and-now of life. Otherwise, we would have no root, no direction, no purpose.

Yet, as for us; we hear the river’s song: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself …” (John 15:4, NKJV)

And, nourished by the river of life, the fruit we produce is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a, NIV)

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   God Is…

•  The Lord is My Shepherd

•  Salvation Explained

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The post A River that Flows From the Throne of God can be found at Thoughts about God.