Approaching God
Spend a few minutes meditating on this verse:
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)
God has called you, with urgency and authority, to come and drink the water of life. You are the one who is thirsty—you are spiritually needy, like a traveler looking for water in a parched land. Don’t pass this verse by because you have read it before. Think about it and let the incredible invitation sink in. Since you are thirsty, come.
Listening to God
“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.” (John 7:37-39)
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is often described as water—water is essential to our living, and when we don’t have it, we crave it desperately. Jesus promised that if we came to Him, we could drink freely. And if we believed in Him, the Holy Spirit would pour into us like water. The Spirit continually refreshes and renews us, like water energizes our bodies. We need Him every day.
Talking to God
Read through the verses from John again. This time, focus on praise and thanksgiving for the gift of the Spirit. Have you come to Jesus to drink? Have you believed in Him and received streams of living water? If you are holding yourself back, take this time to ask Him to change your heart, and give you a thirst for the Spirit.
Responding to God
This month we are thinking about our history of reformation. The Reformers were not, as many people tend to think, enhancing or changing Christianity, but were instead returning to the Bible, to what was really true. Today, look up verses in the Bible about the Holy Spirit. Spend time considering what the Word of God says, and then write down your thoughts on the verses. Do you feel refreshed in your heart because you have returned to the Word of God? Have you been thinking about the Spirit biblically? Does going over these verses change your daily actions?
Surrendering to God
“Holy Spirit, thank you for always being with me and for guiding me when I am lost. Today I pray that you will lead me and my church to return to the life-giving water that will refresh our spirits. Amen.”
By Audrey Bryant
A HISTORICAL SIDEBAR
Is the Bible the Word of God? How would we answer this? John Calvin became known for his teaching on internal testimony of the Holy Spirit. “The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as God alone is a fit witness of Himself in His Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men’s hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit therefore who has spoken through the mouths of the prophets must penetrate into our hearts to persuade us that they faithfully proclaimed what had been divinely commanded…because until He illumines their minds, they ever waver among many doubts!”
