Hearing His Voice #344

[Jesus said,] “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!”

John 7:37

Anyone who is thirsty. That’s who is qualified to come to Jesus. Our thirst will drive us to Him for salvation, for deliverance, for provision, for fulfillment, for anything we need. But the promise of Jesus when He shouted these words to the crowd in Jerusalem was that our thirst coupled with our faith would give us access to an ever-gushing river of water, the Spirit Himself. Those who drink of Him will be satisfied.

Isaiah had issued the same invitation centuries earlier (Isaiah 55:1), and God’s promise of thirst-quenching provision was provided through His Son. Jesus had echoed the same promise in an earlier sermon: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV). Clearly, God is interested in our desire and uses it to draw us to Him. We long for fulfillment, for the “shalom” of the Kingdom, for the wholeness and peace of knowing everything is just as it should be. His Spirit gives us deep tastes of that fullness now with the promise of its thorough completion at the end of the age. But it all begins with thirst. That’s the key to experiencing it.

How relentlessly would you pursue God if He said your relationship with Him hinges on your thirst? Your ability to know Him, experience His presence, and hear His voice will be defined in large part by the intensity of your longing. He rarely speaks to the apathetic, but those who long for Him, who crave Him and seek Him with all their hearts, will be rewarded. If you want to hear Him, keep thirsting. Let your longings drive you toward Him. Never give up your persistent petition for His personal touch and clear response to your cries. He will reveal Himself clearly to those whose thirst settles for nothing less.

Lord, I echo Jacob’s words: I will not let You go until You bless me. My thirst will not let me settle for a mediocre spiritual experience. It’s too strong for that, and I know You will honor my persistence. May the river of living water flow freely in me.