Rivers of Living Water
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this he (Jesus) said of the Spirit, that those who believe on him should receive...) John 7:37-38
Have you ever been thirsty for something but couldn't figure out what you wanted? You drink water and it doesn't help. It is kind of like a longing for satisfaction but you can't get any. This is how the Holy Spirit drives us into the wilderness, so to speak, to seek more of God. Bible study doesn't help. Preaching just stops short of filling you up. Fellowship with others leaves you feeling lonely. Listen up, folks, the Spirit is speaking to you. He is saying, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Song of Solomon 2:10)
You are invited by the Holy Spirit of God to come away to a quiet place and have a drink of Jesus. He is the only drink that will satisfy the hunger you feel deep inside. You drink deeply of Him and it gives life to you. Not only that but even when you only drink a small amount it becomes a river of life flowing out of you. Think about it. When you get around other people, they will know there is something different about you, and it won't be because you are weird. They will feel that river of life coming from your belly and they will be refreshed just by being around you. They will also want to know more about why you are different. That river of life coming out of you is love and everyone wants some of that.
You don't have to go around assaulting others with your opinions about God. Just let that river of living water draw people. It really works. You love people, which means you don't point the finger at them or criticize them, and they will be drawn to Jesus whether you say anything about him or not. And there is absolutely no way to do this on your own. You only have the river of life flowing out to others by first drinking from Jesus. We can't give this river of life because it is just something that happens. We spend time taking care of our plants and they grow automatically. It just happens. The same is true with the river of life. It is cause and effect. You drink of Jesus and the river flows.
The Holy Spirit is calling you. Are you listening?