Come Thirsty

Here in the U.S. we always have access to ample supplies of water for drinking. Most of us do not what it is like to have an unquenched thirst. In Jesus’ day, water was life to the people of Israel. It was vital to their existence as people and as a nation. Without the modern ways of transporting water, they were dependent on water from wells, rivers, and springs. So when Jesus stood in the town centre one day and shouted to the crowd, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink,” he was talking in a way that baffled the people. How could someone get water from a man? Then he added, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” And then they understood.

Jesus always chose the most poignant times to teach the Jewish people and his disciples the life lessons he wanted them to learn.  This particular lesson came on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a weeklong festival designed to remind the Jews of their desert wanderings with Moses and the Lord’s provision for them.  They spent the week living in shacks or booths meant to remind them of their time in the desert.  Grandfathers and fathers retold the tale of how Moses struck the rock in the desert with the Rod of God and water gushed forth to quench the thirst of millions. Then each day the priest would   lead a procession from the Pool of Siloam to the temple. Another priest would fill a golden pitcher with water from the pool and carry it to the temple through the Water Gate.  There he would ceremoniously pour the water onto the altar, while the people sang psalms. On the seventh day, they would do this ceremony seven times.  (Ezek. 47:1-7; Zech. 13:1).

It is in the context of this highly religious and symbolic week that Jesus makes the pronouncement that He is the water that the people need.  No longer do they need to look to the priest, or the law, or the religious leaders for their water. They need only look to him.

There is a soul-thirst in all of us that seeks to be quenched. But like the crowd in Jesus’ day, we often seek to satisfy our thirst with other things. We turn to the media, entertainment, and even “religion” to fulfill our desires.  As spiritual dehydration sets in we take it up a notch and frantically seek for something to quench our thirst, yet nothing fulfills.

Jesus is all we need to satisfy our thirst. When we believe in Him and drink up His Word is it like a tall glass of ice cold water to our parched throats.  As we continue to drink in all that He has for us, we become satisfied and we can then pour out rivers of blessing to others.

Jesus invites you to come; come thirsty.

For The Joy That Was Set Before Him

a post by Sandy Garman

“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1:2.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Christ endured the cross and the shame for the “joy that was set before him.” He knew what God’s plan was for his life. He knew that he would have to endure the suffering and shame of the cross. Yet he chose to follow God’s plan. Because of his trust and    obedience to His heavenly Father, Christ was able to go to the cross. But he also did for the joy which would be his. He suffered for the joy of being seated at the right hand of the Father, and he suffered for the greatest joy of all —- saving you and I.

He suffered for the joy of imparting His righteousness to you and I; for giving us a mansion in heaven, or as C. H. Spurgeon says, “ for the joy of finding mansions in heaven for homeless souls.”

If Christ can endure the shame, suffering, and agony of the cross for our homeless souls, shouldn’t we be able to endure suffering for His sake?

Yet send even a little suffering our way and God will find us crying out for relief. He will find us praying, “It is too much, Lord!” or “It is not fair, God!” Our suffering in this world pales in comparison to him who was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

This Easter season, take a fresh look at the cross. Stand there at the feet of your suffering Savior and worship Him anew. Marvel at His great love for you.

Grant, O Lord, that in your wounds I may find my safety, in your stripes my cure, in your pain my peace, in your cross my victory, in your resurrection my triumph, and a crown of righteousness in the glories of your eternal kingdom.

Jeremy Taylor, in The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers