Bible Verse: 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
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:17-18; Ephesians 5:18
Perhaps you can imagine cutting your grass on a hot summer’s day: sweating, pushing and pulling the mower, working hard, completing the task, and heading inside, feeling “spent” in a good way.
Or perhaps you’ve had the experience of going for a long run, pushing your body, stretching it to the limit, feeling it strain, and arriving home after the exertion.
Or perhaps you remember a time when you put on a roof, or put in a deck, or worked on a fence, as the sun baked you and as you poured out your strength to get the task done.
Once any of these moments were completed and we returned inside, what did we do next?
Very likely, we reached for something to drink.
We have sweated, spent our strength, given ourselves fully to the work – and now we need to be refreshed and replenished.
As per our theme this week, the spiritual mirrors the physical. Just as water is life-giving and crucial to maintaining healthy bodies, so the Holy Spirit is life-giving and crucial to maintaining healthy souls.
Jesus likened the Spirit to “rivers of living water” that could be freely drunk from for anyone who would come to Him. The Holy Spirit is not merely a presence or a power; He is God Himself, and He personally comes and refreshes us, renews us, and restores us from the inside out.
Because of this, we are told to “Be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18), with the original Greek meaning, “Be repeatedly filled, over and over again.” It’s not a one-time event – we are to go to the well for refilling regularly.
Like a glass of water on a hot day, an encounter with God the Holy Spirit revives and strengthens us, giving us everything our spiritual life needs. Seeking Him must, therefore, be a high priority.
To kickstart your spiritual life, go to the places and spaces in your life where you feel closest to Him. Actively pray for His refilling. Carve out time and space in your life to be with Him. And unapologetically pursue the filling of the Spirit.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, refill me today! Refresh and renew me, and give me all the strength of Heaven today.
Reflection: Where in your life do you feel closest to the Lord’s presence? What activities make you feel most alive in Him? Carve out some time to spend in those places today.
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