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Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.
It’s a parched world we live in today, and the more we inform ourselves of the world’s happenings, the more parched we become. Why is it we feel it so necessary to be informed of the happenings of this world? Why is the news so important? Why is what’s happening in Ferguson, Missouri so important to you? Why is what Donald Trump says so important? Why is the next executive decree by Barack Obama so important to you?
You might very well answer the above questions by answering, “It’s important because it will affect me.” Really? How has Ferguson affected you? How has Donald Trump affected you? How has Barack Obama affected you? I’ll tell you how…..by getting you riled up every time you read or think about it, that’s how!
I can honestly say, and so could you, that if I never read the news, my life would be different only in that I would never talk about the news! The news of this world is designed to keep you addicted to it, and what little “moisture” it gives you, it more than makes up for by drying you out a hundredfold! It promises to add substance to your life, but in reality it leaves you feeling sad, angry, out of control.
Put down the news…..your need, your craving for it. Put down its conflict and endless debate. Put down its importance in your mind and conversation. Come to the cool, refreshing, continuously supplying refreshment of the spirit of Christ!
John 4:13, 14 Jesus answered and said unto her (the Samaritan woman at the well), Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again; But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst (shall in no way thirst forever); but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (spring) of water springing up into everlasting life.
Obviously the water Jesus speaks of giving us is not literal water, but is the spirit of God (which we will see in the next Scripture we take a look at). The spirit Christ gives is like a spring of water. Have you ever seen a spring out in a field, or in the woods? I have. It’s a most amazing thing. This water I saw was just pouring up out of a hole in the ground, and running through the grass in this field and into a creek which was nearby, and it just kept pouring up. There was obviously an underground flow of water which ended in this hole in the ground. I was fascinated by it! If I were to pour a bottle of black ink into that spring, it would turn the water black…..for a while. But in a very short period of time, the water would run pure again….as pure as the source of that water.
So is this water that Jesus gives. It runs as pure as God, who is the source, and it continuously pours up into and out of our lives. It quenches us continuously, and allows us to be generous in our giving, because the source never runs dry.
John 7:38, 39 He that believes unto me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this he spoke of the spirit, which they who believe unto him should receive; for the holy spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified).
(You will notice that I translate “believe on him” as “believe unto him“. The Greek preposition is eis, which definition is represented by a line originating from outside of a circle and ending at the center of a circle. That line has arrived at the heart, the very center, of the circle. This “believe on” is more than simply believing in Jesus, it’s believing that has traveled into and unto the very heart and center of Jesus.)
Compare a spring with what the news and knowledge of current events gives us. Facts. Scratchy, dry, mouth (and heart)-puckering facts. Facts that add nothing to our lives, but rather dry our hearts out on the inside, leaving us fearful, anxious, angry and feeling powerless.
Imagine your life without knowing what’s happening hundreds and thousands of miles away. Really, take a moment and imagine what life would be like. Your friend comes up and says, “Did you read what happened in XXXX? O my God! Was that terrible!” And you look at your friend and say, “Hey, let’s go get some coffee. I want to tell you how much I enjoy our friendship.” See, when you become more concerned with the people around you than the news, you start living life to a much fuller measure.
I Corinthians 12:13 For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.
Up until now I’ve spoken of worldly news as being a dry land, but what about man’s religion? (Whether Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or other). What about the seeking of worldly wealth or fame? What about “trying to get it together”? What about seeking success as a person in any endeavor outside of Christ? (mastering languages, travel, parenthood, academia, building a business, video games, etc.) It’s all a dry land outside of the spirit of Christ.
Please understand that any of these pursuits are enriched (moistened, as it were) when resourced from out of Christ! It’s only when Christ is neglected in our pursuits that we end up with parched minds and hearts.
A man who lives resourced from out of the spirit within is a man whose thirst is quenched continuously. He is fully alive and has an abundance of life and love to share. That man lives in the presence of God Himself!
John 14:16, 17 And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, the he may abide with you forever; Even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.
One of the biggest misunderstandings man has of God is in thinking God is limited in His resources. God is limitless! And in Christ, God is limitless toward us! His presence can never be stagnant, or drying up, but rather His presence is always springing up and out, always supplying, always quenching, always giving! Like the universe He has created, God Himself is always expanding outward! Just like a spring of water.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them (the people who sought him out), I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes unto me shall never thirst.
Now it is your decision to make. Do you want to place the importance of your life on your identity of being a well informed person, a worldly-well-informed person, who knows what’s happening in Washington, DC, in Afghanistan, in Syria, in San Bernadino, in Chicago……or do you want to make your life about Christ and live a thirst-quenched life that is able to have a blessed effect on the here and now? It’s your choice. Don’t go the way of the world. Choose Christ.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing! The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
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Jesus – The Bread of Life
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This really spoke to my heart. Thank you!