Cool, Clear, Refreshing Drink

For years my morning routine has been to fill my water jug from the filtered water at the sink and get some ice from the freezer to top it off. I have married within the past two years and in the process of that transaction a real nice side-by-side refrigerator with front dispensers of ice and cold filtered water is now used each day. I use the ice dispenser – I had never really noticed or used the cold filtered water dispenser. It was not in my routine, so I was “blind” to it. One day Barbara observed me getting my water ready to go and mentioned, “I guess you know you do have cold filtered water available right there.” For the first time since the machine has been in the house, I “saw” the dispenser and had a realization of the cold drink of water that was readily available to me. Now, I can easily get a refreshing cold drink of great tasting water anytime I so desire. It is just sitting there waiting for me to tap in on it.

Jesus explained to some folks how they were “making the word of God of none effect” – how they were missing some good things of God for their lives – through their tradition – through their every day religious routine (Mark 7:6-13). In another place he stood in a religious public forum and emphatically cried out that if anyone was spiritually thirsty, they could come to him and drink. He said those who believe on him, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water, speaking of the Holy Spirit, which those who believe on him should receive (John 7:37-39).

In Jesus there is a river of forgiveness, a river of supernatural power, a river of healing, a river of wisdom, a river of prosperity in every way, and so much more. This is the rest and the refreshing promised in the word, of which it was prophesied that so many would not hear (Isaiah 28:9-13). But it is confirmed to us in written word and in testimony, the kingdom of God is now within our grasp.

The good news is that it is all available to us in Jesus the Lord. It has been there all the time. When we break our normal religious routine and go to Jesus himself with a thirsty soul, he is there for us, ready to dispense a cold, clear, refreshing drink of water simply by us bringing our empty, needy, vessel to him and believing on him to fill it.