When Your Soul Feels Thirsty, Holy Spirit will Satisfy
We’ve hit that time of year when we take water with us everywhere. I lug my water bottle with me all day, every day. Just stepping outside for a brief second will cause one to chug some refreshing water. No thirst here, please.
So Thirsty
We don’t think too much about being thirsty. We live in a country where clean water is easily accessible. In our culture, we complain about the taste of water! And honestly? My guess is those from other countries think we behave with entitlement.
Several years ago my sweet Pastor husband and I hiked Bryce Canyon. I often gauged how much water I had left. We hiked down into the canyon, and I was very aware I still needed to return to where we started. I knew I needed half of my water for the climb out. I was conscious of my thirst.
Thirst in Scripture
Jesus talked about being thirsty in scripture. He talked with the Samaritan woman about thirst. He described those who are thirsty for righteousness as blessed in the Sermon on the Mount. And, when Christ was on the cross, He expressed His thirst.
Thirsty for the Spirit
In addition, Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit satisfying thirst. In John 7, we read about a time when everyone was celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles every year beginning on the 15th day of the 7th month. For seven days the Israelites did not work. They also lived in tents as they remembered all God had done for them in the wilderness.
“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
John 7:37-39, CSB
Allow me to be honest. I do not understand all that is happening in these two verses. I am sure there is more to learn from these verses than the little I see. In a brief paragraph, John opens the floodgates of interpretation with phrases like “most important day,” “streams of living water,” and “from deep within.” Plus, he clearly points out Jesus is referencing the Holy Spirit!
Let the Thirsty Come
I find it fascinating that Jesus invites the thirsty to come on the last and most important day of the festival. Everyone has been celebrating God’s deliverance in the wilderness. And who isn’t thirsty when they are in the desert? However, one would think they already made the connection that God is the one who satisfies their needs since they are remembering His faithfulness to them.
I think Jesus called those who were faithful to follow the Law to see he offered more. They surely wanted assurance and satisfaction in their relationship with God. However, at this point, they could try hard and not acquire peace. So, on this final day of celebrating all that happened in those forty years of wandering, Jesus opened the door to something more, something better.
Living Water
Jesus’ invitation to come enjoy living water is a familiar theme to the Israelites. David wrote in Psalm 36, “How priceless your faithful love is God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream. For the wellspring of life is with you. By means of your light we see light.” (verses 7-9, CSB)
Isaiah said, “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost! Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.” (Isaiah 55:1-2. CSB)
In addition, Zechariah prophesies the Lord’s triumph. “On that day living water will flow from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over the whole earth – the LORD alone, and His name alone.” (Zechariah 14:8-9, CSB)
Come: Change a Position
When Jesus invites them to come, He uses the Greek word “erchomai.” He asks them to move from one place to another. In other words, Jesus encourages them to change their position; to choose to follow Him and His way of life. He tells them He will provide what they long for in endless supply.
Jesus’ invitation to come is a proclamation whereby all they hoped for since the Promised Land is within their grasp. They just needed to make a shift in their thinking; they needed to follow Him and trust all He said was true.
Jesus invites us to come as well. We may be doing all the right things and still feel unsatisfied. Perhaps you go to church regularly, listen to Christian radio, and even read your Bible nearly every day of the week. And yet, you want something more.
I think Jesus’ invitation to come when we are thirsty begins with salvation and then extends beyond it. Certainly, Jesus wants to save us and free us from the punishment of our sins. Christ also wants us to come and find complete satisfaction in Him alone. He is our source of fulfillment, peace, joy, and hope.
Thirsty and Unaware
According to scientific research, we don’t always know we are thirsty. Sometimes we don’t register thirst because we are distracted, sick, or we have medication that masks the symptoms. I’m sure you have all heard that sometimes when we think we want a snack, we aren’t hungry, we are thirsty.
Too often we are thirsty for God, but we are unaware. We try to fill our needs with food, material things, success, or distraction and relaxation. However, God is the One who provides all we need. God is the One who satisfies all our longings. Only God gives us the life we thirst for.
Praying Through our Thirst
Several weeks ago, I told you we would look at passages where Jesus said come. I also told you we would apply what we see in scripture to prayer since that is one of the main ways we come to Christ. Think of the various times we are thirsty for God to intervene.
- When we struggle to obey.
- When we are exhausted from serving.
- When we hurt and desire contentment.
- When we are unsure of our next best step.
- When we feel lonely or left out.
- When we mess up and don’t know how to make it right.
Jesus promises us living water that flows from within. So, we can bring our struggles, exhaustion, hurt, and more to Him in prayer. He promises to quench our thirst. However, to receive what He has to offer we may need to move a position. We may need to check our attitude, let go of our desire to be right, step out in faith, share our hurts and fears with someone else, apologize, or rest a bit and try again. Jesus offers us His Spirit, and He promises us He will satisfy our thirst.
Remember the Goal
Warning: we may want our water served in a fancy cup. We often come with a preconceived idea of how we want our prayers answered. But Jesus may hand us a hose and tell us to take a sip. We must remember, the goal is not water on our terms. The goal is Jesus Christ and His Spirit flowing within us.
Are you thirsty today? Are you longing for more hope, more love, more peace, more joy? Christ alone satisfies. He says, “Come.” And so, we enter His presence through prayer. We pour out our needs and listen in case we need to shift our thinking. Regardless of our circumstance, He has streams of living water to satisfy the need of our soul.
Water Fountain Photo by Daniel Hooper 🌊 on Unsplash
