John 7:37,38 – On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Is anybody thirsty? That’s the thing about our need for Living Water, most are not aware of their spiritual dryness. Sadly, many supposed Christians really show no thirst for this precious water of life, just trying to get by without learning how to drink. Spiritual thirst is a true gift from God. Suddenly you become painfully aware of your spiritual dryness and your soul begins to long for this River that flows from God’s throne and can never run dry. Jesus spent His ministry looking for thirsty people. He told the woman at the well in Samaria that He was looking for worshippers. Worshippers are those who have discovered the fountainhead of Living Water and begin a lifestyle of coming back to Jesus, the source of the River, to drink in get draughts of this Water of Life. Here is how Augustine described spiritual thirst.
“When the Lord promised he was going to give his Spirit, he said, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from his belly.” Where does this river in you come from? Remember your former dryness. I mean, if you had not been dry, you would not have been thirsty. If you had not been thirsty, you would not have drunk. What do I mean when I say: if you had not been thirsty, you would not have believed in Christ? Unless you had discovered how empty you were, you would not have believed in Christ. Before saying “rivers of living water will flow from his belly,” he first said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come and drink.” The reason you will have a river of living water is that you drink. You do not drink if you are not thirsty.”
There were two distinct times in my life that I began to experience this overwhelming thirst for God. The first time was just before my conversion. I was on a search for God and I would have literally done anything to find Him. The second time was just before the outpouring of the Spirit at our church in 1994. I was tired of ministry for ministry sake, I just needed the Lord. Both times the Lord showed up in my life in shocking ways. My conclusion, an increase in spiritual thirst is a God thing and a sure sign that something special is about to happen in your world.
