If Anyone Thirst

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. NKJV

The Lord Jesus was always so direct, decisive, and deliberate with His words. He at times spoke with such tender loving mercy to His listeners but then He would speak with thundering condemnation mainly of religious hypocrisy. He so desperately wanted the Jews to understand all that the prophets spoke about Him and bow to Him as their King. He knew His time on earth as Messiah was fast approaching its very dramatic and climatic end at the cross. His heart ached for the Jewish people knowing that most of them did not recognize Him as the Christ. However, He wanted them to know that His offer of pardon, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, and newness of life was for anyone.

No matter what family a person was born into or a person’s standing in their community or their wealth or poverty, etc. were of any significance to Him. He only wanted to know then and now who out there is thirsty. It is surely not coincidental that our Lord chose this picture to speak of a sinful heart ready to be set free. Thirst, in the natural sense is perhaps the strongest desire our bodies were created with. Our bodies can go for many days without food up to even 100 days in some reported cases, but without water the person will not live past 3-5 days and in some extreme cases maybe one week. It is a strong desire our bodies have for water; therefore, our Lord speaks of Himself as living water (from the spiritual standpoint).

I am certain that a person stranded without water for several days would never have any desire or concern, or love for diamonds, or platinum jewelry, or money, stocks, gold, etc., all of that to them at that lowest moment of their bodies physical need would be worthless to them and they would throw it all away just to get one drink of water so that they could live. This is where the sinful heart of every man and woman must go spiritually and they must see their sin in light of Christ holiness and cry out to Him for His living water. The sinful heart must be ready for deliverance and freedom and cry out to the Lord of Glory for salvation.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." NKJV

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. NKJV

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely. NKJV

 “There is no thirst of the soul so consuming as the desire for pardon. The sense of its bestowal is the starting-point of all goodness. It comes bringing with it, if not the freshness of innocence, yet a glow of inspiration that nerves feeble hands for hard tasks, a fire of hope that lights anew the old high ideal, so that it stands before the eye in clear relief, beckoning to make it out on its own.” Charles H. Brent

 “The most vital question to ask about all who claim to be Christian is this: Have they a soul thirst for God? Do they long for this? Is there something about them that tells you that they are always waiting for His next manifestation of Himself? Is their life centred on Him? Can they say with Paul that they forget everything in the past? Do they press forward more and more that they might know Him and that the knowledge might increase, until eventually beyond death and the grave they may bask eternally in 'the sunshine of His face?' That I might know him!” Dr. Martin-Lloyd Jones

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…