“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37 ESV
What is the key to the Holy Spirit creating life-giving rivers in us? Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty.” Do you thirst for Jesus, more of Jesus, the fullness of Jesus in you daily? Not just when you are in need or you desire a new experience, but do you thirst for Jesus Christ in your life? Jesus said, “…let him come to me and drink.” This is a physical action that comes from our spiritual life. To want more of Jesus, we must take action and do what is necessary physically by spending time with Jesus in His Words. To come to Him means we go to Him spiritually and spend time with Him, and as we do, we will be filled up. Finally, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Me…” Rivers of living water will continue as we believe, and we continue to believe in Jesus as the only source of life and power. Believing in Jesus is not a one-time thing; believing in Jesus is a lifestyle of allowing His Words to take root in our belief system to change the course of our thinking, which will then change our behavior, our attitudes, and our character, and will result in rebuilding our life. Just as a river can change course, we need the rivers of the Holy Spirit to change us. The “course” of our life needs to be changed to rebuild. Paul says in Ephesians 5:18, “…be filled with the Spirit.” The action with this verse is to be filled, all the time, continually. We can’t drink once; we need water all day long. We must keep drinking to live. The same is true with our life in Jesus Christ; we must keep coming to Him and drinking from Him, from the King’s Pool, the never-ending supply of the fountain of living water.
The Holy Spirit focuses on our soul level. Nehemiah was very troubled by the situation of the people in the city. ”And they said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.’ As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3-4 (ESV)
The news of the condition of the people causes Nehemiah to weep and mourn for days. He was upset that sadness had taken over because of what was happening in Jerusalem. After a time of praying and being before God, Nehemiah knew what he needed to do. He needed to go and help rebuild the walls. His concern was for the people and their condition, to come and comfort, encourage, and give them the proper tools for rebuilding. This is the focus of the Holy Spirit in us. This is His concern for our souls. Is it possible for the Holy Spirit to be concerned to the point of grief for our life? Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit can be grieved, and He suffers over us because He wants us restored and rebuilt. What the Holy Spirit wants to rebuild is our soul.
[As adapted from The Bondage Breaker and Stomping Out The Darkness by Dr. Neil Anderson and Dr. Dave Park.]