If Anyone Thirsts 

John 7:25-52 (ESV) 

[25] Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? [26] And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? [27] But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." [28] So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. [29] I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." [30] So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. [31] Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?" [32] The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. [33] Jesus then said, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. [34] You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come." [35] The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? [36] What does he mean by saying, ''You will seek me and you will not find me,'' and, ''Where I am you cannot come''?" [37] On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ''Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.''" [39] Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. [40] When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet." [41] Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? [42] Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" [43] So there was a division among the people over him. [44] Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. [45] The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" [46] The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!" [47] The Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? [48] Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? [49] But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." [50] Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, [51] "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" [52] They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." 

Rivers of Living Waters become almost a distant hope at times. This is not because we do not desire living waters, neither is because we do not need living waters, because we do. The distance is because we disconnect living waters from Jesus.

Drinking becomes about my effort and my labor to get to water, to draw the water, to explain the water, to even analyze the water. Jesus made drinking living water simple. He said, "If any man thirst, let him come to me".

If any one thirsts. That was the simple requirement. Nothing more, nothing less. No college degree, no hoops to jump through, no spiritual tenure to hold. Nothing that man views as important to receive an invitation to come to Jesus.

Simple THIRST!!! If I am thirsty, I am qualified. If I am thirsty, I am invited. If I am thirsty, I can come. But the coming is not to a well that holds a substance that I can understand or control. The coming is to Jesus, to a person who is the substance and who will hold me.

Thirst!!! It doesn't sound like much, yet if thirst is not quenched or answered in a person's life, the end result will be a slow and painful death. To die of thirst, eternal thirst, not because living water is not available, but because a person refuses to come, is a tragedy. Yet so many make that choice. Maybe even you.

Jesus says if you are thirsty come to me and DRINK. Nothing else. Simply stand there in His presence and drink Him in. Drink in His word, drink in His holiness, drink in His beauty, drink in His majesty, drink in His forgiveness, drink in His love, drink in His mercy, drink in His grace. As you do, you realize that He gave you the thirst you have and He gave you Himself to quench that thirst.

Brother and Sister, Jesus is calling for us to thirst. Come and drink.  

Don't die of thirst!!! Living water is available to all who are thirsty.

- Written by Steve Shives