Just below the snowy peak of Mt. Shasta, near the headwaters of the Sacramento River in California, an icy-cold underground spring gushes out of the side of a cliff. My brother, who used to live there, says that people flock there to fill their jugs with the refreshing liquid.

Water quenches our thirst and sustains our life. In Scripture, water serves as a word picture of the sufficiency of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ day, during the Feast of Tabernacles a choir sang while a priest filled a gold pitcher with water and poured it out. This reminded all those present of the water that gushed from the rock during the wilderness wanderings (Num. 20:8-11).

As this ritual was taking place, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). This source is the Holy Spirit, who is like a well of satisfaction (7:39). Earlier, the Lord had made the dramatic claim that the believer would have a continual source of spiritual refreshment (4:14).

Are you thirsty today? Confess your sin, and Christ will fill you with His Spirit. As you yield to His will, He will graciously fill you with living water springing up to eternal life.  — Dennis Fisher