John 7:37 – 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. Participation in a great religious ritual in Jerusalem left the people still thirsty though the true source of living water was there among them. But they had no time or opportunity to recognize Him and to go to Him to quench their inner thirst. They also didn’t know that the significance of the festival they attended was the Lord Jesus. This feast was probably the last chance these people would get to go to Jesus and get the drink of living water. They had the privilege to hear the announcement of the availability of living water. All that they had to do was to respond to His invitation. Today Jesus comes our way to quench our thirst for God and all that we crave for. He is offering it to us freely as He has paid its price with His life. Yet we often keep going with parched throats while still craving for the garbage that the world offers. Of course, the world is out there to attract us to its infected water. If we go after it, we will have to surrender our souls and all the opportunities this life gives us to drink the living water from Jesus. The world and its owner use subtle and cunning methods to attract us to possessions, prestige, popularity, prominence, position and prosperity. If we go after these, our thirst will increase and we will be forced to give our lives to buy more of it. Finally we will be left with parched throats and empty lives because these will only increase our thirst. But Jesus gives us a life of peace, joy and satisfaction which will change our desires and priorities. For us to enjoy His peace and satisfaction we need to leave our craving for all that the world offers and voluntarily go to Jesus to accept the water of life.
Dear reader, are you thirsting after the temporal things that this world offers? Many have gone that way and found their lives empty and lost. What the world offers never satisfies, but instead makes you its slave. But unless you willingly give up the desire to imbibe into the lukewarm water of wealth, knowledge, recognition, praise and acceptance that the world offers, it would be impossible to enjoy the life of rest that Jesus offers. If you drink the true water of life, it will kill your desire for the garbage and the lukewarm water that the world offers. Many have gone the way of the world and ruined their lives. Gehazi desired wealth which made him a leper. Achan wanted the forbidden loots of the world and ended up under a heap of stones. The heart of Mrs. Lot was in Sodom and she became a pillar of salt. Demas lost the opportunity for great ministry along with Paul. Miriam got into trouble when she sought recognition. Millions have gone the way of the world and lost the opportunity for true satisfaction that Jesus offered them. After all, who is interested in following a person who had no place to sleep when even birds and wild animals have their resting places! Yes, unless we are willing to denounce all that is offered by this world, we cannot find a satisfying way of life in Jesus. We cannot enjoy the best of both worlds, but will have to give one up for the other. When we choose one, we automatically loose the other. There is a choice before us today to either enjoy the peace and satisfaction offered by Jesus or the lukewarm and deceptive attractions of the world. There is a challenge to willingly take one and leave the other behind. Let us today choose the eternal bliss that Jesus offers freely instead of the temporal and costly garbage that the world offers. Once we choose Jesus, He will look after all our daily requirements as we walk with Him on our pilgrimage.
Isaiah 55:1 – Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.Thought for Today
The world’s lukewarm water costs us our lives, but the Water of Life gives us a new life.
