Living Water

We may marvel at this statement about water. Why such a big deal about water. Besides being an almost universal cleaner, in the middle East, clean water was very scarce in some areas. Webster defines addiction as, "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly; persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful." Humans are addicted to water, they need it to survive. "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified," - John 7:37-39 {ESV}. Jesus was looking forward to the outpouring of the Spirit and the time when the Holy Spirit lives inside those who believe in him. That time is now! This outpouring isn't a limited supply of water like a cistern, but an unlimited supply of refreshment like an artesian well. It isn't a well of water that sometimes goes dry in the long hot summer, but a supply that continuously overflows. And what is this water, this source of refreshment? The Holy Spirit! The Helper Jesus sends to us. So why don't we experience the overflow? Could it be because we don't seek this overflow, don't expect this overflow, and don't ask Jesus to send this overflow (Luke 11:13; Romans 15:13; cf. John 4:13-14)? When this source is in our being, it is a continual guide along our unique individual spiritual journey.