21 Day Fast // Day 7: Are You Thirsty?

DAY 7 // John 7:37-39 // "Are You Thirsty?" // Pastor Deb

John 7:37-39
"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ 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.”

Festivals were a wonderful part of the ancient Jewish culture. The Jews loved a good party! One of those great parties was the Feast of Tabernacles. This festival in John 7 was about remembering the wanderings of the Jewish people in the desert. Eventually, this festival included a remembering how God provided for the thirst of his people in the desert when Moses struck a rock with his rod and water gushed forth.

Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, but he wasn’t partying because he knew his beloved Jewish folks were still wandering! As Jesus walked the streets, sat in the temple, participated in their religious rituals, he was seized with grief. God’s people were dry and withered spiritually—rather than being a vibrant people living out their faith, the Jews had become religious, ritualistic, and in need of renewal.

So, when Jesus stood up in the temple on that final day, he passionately declared that rivers of living water would flow from Him to them if they would drink deeply of the Spirit. His cry was calling them back to the true essence of their faith—come back to a life-giving relationship with God.

Did you know that if you become dehydrated long enough, you will die? Spiritually speaking, if you allow yourself extended periods of not connecting with God, his Church, and his people, you could die spiritually. Sadly, during this pandemic, the way we experience the ‘Church’ community is so different. It requires us to be even more intentional with how we connect with God, the body of Christ, and the world. It requires a whole new set of actions that need to be fueled by living water.

So, take responsibility to COME and drink deeply of the Holy Spirit every day.

One way you can do that during this time of fasting is to prayerfully ask God the following questions:
-Am I thirsty?
-What is causing my thirst, my dehydration?
-Am I passionate about my relationship with You?

Also, you can take time to sit and reflect on the following questions.
Listen for the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit as you ask yourself:
-How much time am I spending at the feet of Jesus, learning from his Word, being in prayer, sharing his love with others?
-Is Jesus on the forefront of my thoughts as I awake in the morning? Throughout the day? When I lay down at night?
-What things are distracting me, causing me to become dehydrated?
-Am I excited to be on mission with Jesus or are my comfort and personal agenda more important to me on any given day?

I could go on with the questions, but I think you get the picture. Fasting is a time to stop and assess your spiritual health. It is when you set aside space in your schedule to take some serious deep drinks of the Holy Spirit.

His living water is available, unrestricted, and free-flowing to anyone who wants it. However, this invitation requires action—COME and DRINK! If you are thirsty, it is your responsibility to come to Jesus and drink deeply.

King David, in Psalm 63 does some soul searching, and he writes, “Oh God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” He goes on to declare that it is in God’s presence his life is restored, and his thirst is quenched.

Are you thirsty? Come and drink from the rivers of living water. The Spirit is waiting to fill you to overflowing!

Prayer Focus: Pray for our CHILDREN’S MINISTRY and Sarah Fenner - that our kids would love Jesus.