“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'” — John 7:37-38
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Last season, Andrew McCutchen rejoined the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he started his Major League playing career in 2009. He doesn’t hit for as high of an average as he did early in his career, but he’s still a consistent player and is valued for his veteran leadership. He’s mentioned that Pittsburgh is likely his final stop, and he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. He’s back home in the “City of Bridges.”
Pittsburgh has an estimated 446 bridges with all the waterways and steep hills around town. In one area, three rivers meet at “The Point,” as the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers come together at Point State Park to form the Ohio River. This is why the Pirates’ venue from 1970-2000 was called Three Rivers Stadium.
Many cities throughout the world are built on riverbanks because rivers provide transportation and a food source — water is a necessity of life. In the Bible, rivers watered the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10). And when Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, they miraculously crossed the Jordan River to go in and enjoy the fruitful area; God made a temporary dry path for everyone to get safely across (Joshua 3:17). That river is an important water source for Israel, a fertile land “flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy 26:9).
Throughout Scripture, the necessity of water for our bodies is compared to our need for spiritual refreshing. Our souls need God even more than we need cool water on a hot summer day. On several occasions, God allowed the Israelites to get thirsty during their wilderness wanderings in order to remind them to look to God for the water of life. “He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers” (Psalm 78:15-16).
God will meet us at our point of need, even if we think we are self-sufficient or have plenty. Life comes from Him, and the only way to truly flourish is to rely on the nourishment we get from the Lord. “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…” (Psalm 1:3).
The Lord is able to provide an abundant and lasting supply of our basic needs, and more importantly, He provides salvation for our souls. When a crowd was gathered, Jesus spoke about Himself as life-giving water. “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them'” (John 7:37-38).
Whether you are in a season of plenty or are in need, look to the Source to supply your needs and for nourishment. He is our Living Water!
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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