Who Gets It?

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

A diligent Bible reader will quickly discover that Jesus’ disciples soon cashed in on this promise when the Holy Ghost fell for the first time in Jerusalem. But what happened after that? The Bible records the stories of thousands who received this heavenly deluge. Today, more people receive the baptism of the Spirit each year than all those recorded in the Bible.

When Jesus introduced us to the promise of the Spirit, He made a key statement that explains exactly who receives this gift. Those who receive the Spirit come first with that rare little trait called “thirst.” Some consider the Holy Ghost as a casual discussion, an interesting possibility, or a doctrinal argument. Jesus, however, isn’t looking for us to just bring Him our minds regarding this gift. He’s not just looking for our faith. He’s looking for those who realize their need for His love, His joy, His peace, His kindness, and much more. Dehydrated from secularism and parched by pluralism, they are seeking a source that doesn’t burn them out and disappoint them in the end.

It’s easy to not thirst for more of God. We drink deeply of our busy lifestyles. Modern society takes a few sips at the fountain of self-indulgence, guzzles a gulp of lewd thinking, and washes it all down with a slosh of Hollywood. Perhaps if we de-carbonated our schedules and de-caffeinated our weekends we might be able to de-mystify certain passages of Scripture that seem to apply to someone else.

Many people who take up physical training or health improvement discover how good pure water can taste when they cut out commercial beverages. A life spent seeking first the Kingdom of God would be just as refreshing. Crave Him. Thirst. Want the Spirit of God more than anything and you will have Him. If a person today would concentrate on worshipping and praising God as those thirsty early Christians did, they too could take a deep drink of that Living River.

Do you want just a swig or the whole river?