The Urgency of the Hour

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER #1

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” 

John 7:37

It is unfortunate that God has made such a huge offer to us and all we see us doing, other than coming to Him, is forming our own camps. Let’s check the response of the people at the feast in those days to this offer of Jesus. In John 7:40-42, the Scriptures show us that some said “of a truth, He is a prophet” and some said “He is the Christ”. And others wondered how that lines up with the teachings they have heard previously. Now, verse 43 gives us the conclusion of the matter: “So there was a division among the people because of him.”

Does it not bother us that when Jesus has made an offer to us, which He did so passionately by standing and crying (shouting), the only response we have given to it is to be divided. We are saying many correct things but we are using those same theologically correct things to hinder ourselves from actually coming to Jesus to drink. In this account, we did not see anyone coming to Jesus to receive of that water He was offering. Division broke out as people were debating on their own perspectives about the Son of Man. They left the main thing and started chasing shadows. You can imagine this!

They are discussing bible but they refuse to draw near to Him, of whom the Scriptures were speaking about, to be filled with the rivers of living water. I wonder why we can be so taken up with teachings that we even miss the realities in them. We miss having an encounter with the LORD… a genuine experience of the things we have read, heard or taught. And yet, Jesus stood because this matter was urgent. He also cried out; only that those to whom He cried believed a theological argument must be settled first before they could come to Him. And as it is with this class of argument, where every party thinks he is right, it doesn’t ever finish. No single person could break out of theoretical arguments to claim the crying Saviour and receive the promised drink that could have quenched the thirst in their souls.

Why do you spend so much time on that which does not satisfy? In arguing and debating others, you are forfeiting, neglecting, and ignoring the fullness of the Spirit you actually need to quench the thirst of your soul. Why do you not have a correct sense of the hour? Jesus stood and cried to get the attention of these men but they only ended that day with theological disputes. And you know, He is before us today also, standing and crying, knowing that it is “…the last day…” asking us to come and drink.

It is clear to me that it is the value you place on the Word of God that determines what you will do with it. If it is something you only argue about, then you can only leave your soul famished and empty; but if you tremble at His Word, you will draw near to Him to receive help for your soul. It is the last days we are in, brother, it is not time to merely know the letters of the law that killeth but the spirit that giveth LIFE (2 Corinthians 3:6). It is not time, sister, to enter into debates with people when the offer of the LORD to you personally is still hanging (unclaimed). You have not come to Him even though you know so much “about” Him and that knowledge is keeping you out of God’s rest for your soul. Those who don’t know as much as you theoretically have taken the LORD at His word, and have since been helped.

The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd of popular opinion to experience the LORD for herself. I don’t know how much she knew intellectually about the LORD, but she simply pressed through and touched and virtue came out from the LORD towards her. Apart from your bible knowledge, has virtue flowed to you from the LORD? Only a thirst (longing) and a coming to Jesus will do that. Can you imagine that in that entire crowd of people around Jesus, only this woman got help at that particular time? (Mark 5:25-34). And that is because she longed (thirst) to be helped and she actually came to Him who could help her?

The LORD stands and cries at this crucial moment in world history. He is calling those who have been left thirsty despite of their involvement in one religion or the other. He is calling those who are thirsty even though they have been in church for years. You do not have to delay because if you come at a wrong time, you will be denied. You can’t receive this help after you are dead. You can’t receive this help after Jesus has returned. And you don’t really know when either of these will occur. Hence, it is only today or even this very hour, in fact this very moment, you have. 

Leave those who are arguing to their arguments; you come and drink and be filled. The evidence of a winning argument is the quality of an undeniable LIFE you have. And it speaks volumes without opening your mouth to defend God’s Word. 

LORD, I will not delay anymore. I come to You right now. Please help me. I want to drink of this rivers of living water that can truly satisfy my soul. I come to “buy” this drink with the only payment you requested for, which is my thirst (Isaiah 55:1). Thank you LORD. In Jesus name. AMEN.  

NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are from the King James Version

Picture Credit: Peter Whitcombe, Pinterest