Holy Spirit 01

Holy Spirit 01
John 7:37-39

Today's devotion is number one in our Holy Spirit devotions. And we're going to be following our Daily Devotion Journal format today. This means that we're going to be taking our verses today and we're going to spend a few minutes meditating on them. We're going to Meditate on them first, and then we're going to Apply them to our lives. And then finally, we are going to Respond to God based on what he has impressed on us during our time with him.

Grab your Bible if you can. I use the NLT. You can interact with God as I go through these verses. Again, this is our first devotion from the verses on the Holy Spirit in our Scripture by Topic list on the Holy Spirit, (which you can get at MyDailyChurch.com.) So, if you have that form or if you're writing in a journal, we’ll be looking at John 7 verses thirty-seven and thirty-eight.

First, let's pray that the Lord will make our hearts ready to hear from him.

Lord Jesus. We pray right now that our hearts would be made ready. That you, by your Spirit would make our hearts ready to hear from your Spirit in your Word. Lord, may you speak to us today, Lord. May you put in us a deeper desire to know you better and to know the power of your Holy Spirit better. Lord, please speak to us in your Word today in your name Jesus. Amen.

Before we get to the verses, let me tell you the story leading up to the verses. It's during the Feast of Tabernacles, which was probably the most well attended Jewish Festival of the year. And each day during this festival week, there would be a procession from the Temple down to the pool of Siloam (where we go every year when we go to Israel – and you should come with us). And they would go to the Gihan Springs, the pool of Siloam, and a priest would fill a gold pitcher of water from the spring. And as he did that, people would recite Isaiah 12:3 (NLT), which says, with joy, you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation. And then they would return to the Temple and they'd be singing the Psalms of Ascent as they went back up through the city of David to the Temple courts.

And then, when they got there, the priest would pour the water out on the altar. And this was to remind the people of the Living Water that flowed from the Rock in the Wilderness, which was a picture, a type of Jesus Christ. And it was a prophetic acting out of the coming Messiah who would pour out the Living Water of Salvation on the people. It’s so clearly Jesus to us.

But there on that day when Jesus was actually there, it was the last day it was the greatest day of this feast. And these verses are spoken by Jesus, maybe even when the priest was pouring the water out on the altar. So now here we start to meditate. You start your meditate section if you're using the devotion journal page.

John 7:37-38 (NLT)
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!
38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’


37 On the last day, the climax of the festival… (So, with all that drama of pouring out the water of Salvation every single day, maybe, like I said, as the priest was pouring the water out on the last day, the great day) …Jesus stood. (And the idea is that he stood to be seen, he stood in a place where the crowd could see him and hear him.) and he shouted to the crowds… And he shouted because this is something he wanted them to hear. And this is something that Jesus wanted us to hear.

Jesus stood and he shouted to us these words in verse 37. "Anyone who is thirsty… Is that you today? Are you thirsty for something from Jesus today? Are you thirsty for the new life there? Only Jesus kinkier. Are you thirsty for forgiveness? Are you thirsty for revival in your life? Are you thirsty for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing? If you are, then Jesus shouts to you. Anyone, anyone at all. But only anyone who is thirsty. Guys, we have to be thirsty for the new life. We have to be thirsty for the peace and the power that Jesus wants to pour into us by his Holy Spirit.

"Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who is thirsty may come to Jesus, not may come to church, not may follow a religion, but may come to Jesus personally. If you are thirsty for this new life, you have to come to Jesus personally.

38 Anyone who believes in me… And this word “believes” means to put your full faith and trust in, it means to rely upon, it means to put your full confidence in. It does not mean to believe that Jesus exists. James 2:19 (NLT) says, Even the demons believe that Jesus exists and they tremble in terror. This word, “believe” is a verb. This is what you need to hear. It's an action word. It's not intellectual. This belief is an action. It's an action of faith and trust. Its reliance in confidence. It's a belief that shows – it's a belief that is an action.

And Jesus says "Anyone who believes in me (with this faith and trust that shows) "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! May come in, take in the life-giving water of salvation. For the scriptures declare ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” Rivers gushing forth, a continual source of Living Water will flow from your heart.

And then just to make sure we get it. In Verse 39, the Apostle John really wants to make sure we don't miss what Jesus is talking about.

John 7:39 (NLT) It’s in parentheses because it's commentary from the Apostle John. (When he said “living water,” he that's Jesus was speaking of the Spirit who would be given to everyone believing in him…)

Now, that's a lot to take in. But would you just right now take a minute to really Meditate on these verses? If you're writing, just write what jumps out at you or to you. Write these verses in your own words as if Jesus is speaking to you personally because he is. And if you're not writing, then maybe just take a minute to turn these verses over in your mind, to just chew on them, to think – where do these verses fit in my life? And you may want to pause right now and just let the word of God soak into your heart.

Now let's Apply these verses to your life. What was the Holy Spirit bringing up in your heart while we were meditating on these verses? What did you see? Where did you fit in these verses? What was God impressing on you as we dug into these verses? Maybe you need this deeper thirst for Jesus. Maybe that's how these verses apply. Maybe you need this deeper level of personal belief in Jesus. Maybe you need to learn how to really come to Jesus to receive this living water until it's gushing out of you like a river again.

Just take a minute, look at these verses and write them or think about, “How does this incredible call of Jesus, how does this incredible promise of Jesus apply to my life today? What areas specifically do these verses apply to in your life? Just take a minute. Be honest. Be transparent. Write them down if you're writing or think through them.

Lastly, let's Respond. You've meditated on these verses. You've heard me kind of dig into them. You've applied them to your life. You've been honest and you've said what you really need in your life in response to these verses. Now it's time to respond. How will you respond? How will you respond to these verses today? Will you become truly thirsty to come to Jesus? Will you cry out to Jesus to receive this Living Water? Will you cry out to him until this living water of the Holy Spirit begins to flow continually from your heart?

Maybe you need to commit to knowing the Holy Spirit better, to know the Holy Spirit who is this river of Living Water. Maybe you need to commit to seek the Holy Spirit in your life more or to learn more about him. Maybe you just need to commit to asking Jesus daily to fill you with his Holy Spirit until this river of Living Water is gushing forth from your life. Take a minute to write down or get it clear in your heart. How are you going to respond to God according to these verses?

After we pray, you may want to write your prayer down. It's an awesome thing to do, to write your prayer down. So, let's go ahead and pray. You can look back over the verses as we pray.

Lord Jesus, we need you, we need you so bad, Lord. We are thirsty for you. Lord, we are dying without the Water of Life - without your Living Water Lord. And we recognize our deep thirst for you. We recognize our deep need for you, Lord.
 
And so, we come to you today. We come to you personally. And we come believing in full faith and trust, we believe, enough to put our faith and trust into action. And we rely on you fully and completely Jesus, in all of our hope and confidence is you. And in all of that faith, Lord, we come to you and drink in your Living Water. And we ask you, Lord, we beg you, Lord, to fill us with your Holy Spirit, to fill us so much that rivers of Living Water would come gushing forth from our hearts.

We seek you today, Lord. We seek you personally today with everything we have. And we pray that you would baptize us, that you would engulf us, fill us to overflowing with the life and power of your Holy Spirit. For your glory, Jesus, and in your mighty name, amen.


Thanks for joining this for our first real formal Devotion Journal format devotion. Go to MyDailyChurch.com. Find out all about the ministry. Get the Daily Devotion Journal instructions and pages there and the Scripture By Topic.

Thanks for being part of the family. Thank you for your prayers. Thanks for sharing this ministry. And thanks for your financial support. God bless you.
Tagged with

Recent

Tags

Abundant Life Acceptance Agape Alone With God Journal Guide Alone With God Anxiety Authority Avoidance Awe Becoming a Disciple Blessings Body of Christ Christ's strength Christ\'s strength Christ\\\'s strength Christ\\\\\\\'s strength Christmas Colossians Come to Me Comfort Commit Community Compassion Confidence Courage Cross Daily Journal Dave Shepardson Decisions Delight Demonic Devos Devotions Devo Discipleship Emotions Encountering The Father Encouragement Ephesians 3:20-21 Eternity Faithfulness Faith Fear Fellowship with God Forgiveness Friend of God Generation God Cares God Knows God's Provision Gods Love Gods Will Grace Gratitude Grow Guided Journal Holy Spirit Honesty Hope Humanity of Jesus Image of Christ Imperfection Intercession Jesus Christ Jesus Journal Guide Judgment Knowing God Lamb of God Life Decision Love Made by God Memorials Mercy Miracles My Daily Church Nation Obedience Offering Overwhelmed Passion Week Patient Endurance Peace Perfection Philippians 4:6-9 Power Prayer Pride Purpose Rejoice Resolution Rest Resurrection Salvation Savior Seasons of Life Serve God Spiritual Warfare Testimony Thankfulness The Great Commission The Name of Jesus This Week Thought Life Transformation Trials Triumphal Entry Trust Truth Upper Room Discourse Values Victory in God Wait on God What Am I Grateful For? Wilderness Wisdom Worship anger brokenness circumstances discipline faithful in prayer hard times healing joy money praise promises self surrender temptation thanksgiving unanswered prayer unfailing love