We all need water. According to many sources the human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females. Our lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight; blood contains almost 70% water; body fat contains 10% water and bone has about 22% water. A newborn infant’s body weight is about 75% water weight. Without water, our physical bodies could not function.
Spiritual Needs
In John 7:37-38, Jesus uses water and thirst to talk about spiritual needs. Just as each of us has a need for water to satisfy a physical need, we have deep spiritual needs that only Jesus can meet.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” John 7:37-38
An important aspect of this scripture is that we musty recognize our need – our thirst – for Jesus. We must be aware that we have deep spiritual needs such as to be loved, accepted, feel worthy, and to be forgiven to name a few. So often we turn to other people and things to satisfy these deep needs, but only Jesus can meet these deep needs.
The Holy Spirit and Living Water
God designed us to be in relationship with him. He gave us his Son so that, through Jesus, we could know God. When we believe in Jesus and accept him into our hearts, his Holy Spirit begins to live in us. (Read John 7:39) As we learn to live less from our sinful, “self” nature and allow the Holy Spirit to be fully alive in us, we are able to realize the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. (Galatians 5:22-23) And the greater these fruits are ‘alive’ in us, the more love, patience, gentleness and kindness will be flowing thorough us to other people. That’s what Jesus was referring to when he said that “living waters” will flow from within us. The Spirit of God will flow through us to other people. And not just drops of water…. but streams of water.
Drinking From Jesus
But, we must drink from Jesus to have these living waters flow through us. In John 15:5 Jesus gives us another key in how we can experience this fruit in our lives. He tells us “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The key is to stay close to Jesus. We do this by reading the Word that he gives us, the Bible. We meditate on what the Word says throughout the day. We pray. We sit quietly in his presence. We do what we can to “drink” Jesus into our souls and spirit.
Questions to Reflect On
What deep spiritual needs might you have that only Jesus can meet?
How may you have been attempting to meet these deep needs apart from Jesus?
How is God’s Spirit flowing through you to other people?
Helpful Resources
Article – It’s About the Relationship
Article – Loving God
Thank you for a wonderful post.
My need was to manage severe stress. I was thirsty to find a solution and I came to Jesus (John 7:37-38), believed Him and drank His Word.
As a result, and all the glory belongs to God, rivers of living water have begun to flow from Him through me to help others Manage Stress with the Word of God.