Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Holy Spirit – John 7:37-39 – Come To Me And Drink – Growing As Disciples
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39 (NIV)
Insatiable Thirst
That is exactly what I was. What’s that? I was thirsty. How so? I was empty inside. There was a void inside of me. I lacked hope and meaning. I had no purpose and direction. I had these vague feelings that there must be more to life. I wanted more. I did not know what that more was. I just knew that somewhere, somehow there was more to life than I was experiencing. I tried to fill that void by seeking comfort and pleasure. I tried to satisfy my thirst by trying to acquire all that the world had to offer. Like what? I tried to acquire wealth and power and possessions. I tried to accomplish achievements and receive recognition. I lived for the applause of the world. Nothing was enough. Nothing was satisfying. No matter what I did I remained empty inside and thirsty for what I did not know. What happened? The course that I was on hurt rather than helped me. How so? The empty and worldly life I was living left me bruised and battered. Living for comfort and pleasure leads to a dark and broken and painful, sin filled life. The wages of the life I was living began to pay it its death to me. Finally, I reached rock bottom. There was nowhere to turn. There was nothing I could do except cry out to you. You remember? Yes, of course I do. I shouted and begged and screamed for you to show yourself to me, if you were real. Yes, you did.
What did I do with your shouts and screams and begging? You accepted them as a prayer. Yes, I did. Did I show myself to you? Did I pull you up from your rock bottom? Yes, you did. You did that and much more. What did I do? You forgave my sins. You cleansed my unrighteousness. You adopted me into your family. You made me to be your child. You gave me a new life and made me alive in you. You put your Holy Spirit in me. You have made it so I can live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. You have given my life hope and meaning and purpose and direction. Yes, I have done all these things for you.
There is something else that you have done for me. There is something else I am especially thankful for. What’s that? You have given me this insatiable thirst for you. I thirst for you and you satisfy me. I thirst for you again and again and you satisfy me again and again. Keep this hunger for you in me. Keep on satisfying my thirst for you. Yes, I will.
Lord, I knew there was a void inside me. I tried to fill my emptiness in many unsatisfying ways. I didn’t know I was really thirsting for you. I wanted an intimate relationship with you. Thank you for drawing me to you and satisfying my never-ending thirst for you. Amen
For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:
The Holy Spirit – John 7-37-39 – Come To Me And Drink – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide
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