Rivers of Living Water
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. -John 7:37-39 NRSV
This is one of my favorite Jesus quotes. He does not say that believing in him will cause a person to get their act together and be more religious but speaks of an inner change that erupts into life giving water. Being a Christian has never been about following religious rules. That was what got the Pharisees in trouble. They worked from the outside in.
Being a Christian has always been about a new heart. A spiritual birth. Inner life that grows from birth to infancy to maturity. Something that flows like a river from our innermost being. My life changed dramatically when I was born of the Spirit so many years ago. My desires changed as I felt the Spirit flow from deep within in me.
Help me Lord to live from my new heart. Cause me to remember who I am and who I am called to be.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
Amen!
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