A hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning. A mug of creamy mocha next to the fireplace as it snows. Hot herbal tea before bed. A tall glass of iced tea on a hot afternoon. An icy lemonade at the pool with friends.
These are all ways that I enjoy drinking a beverage. Sometimes I need sustenance, sometimes I drink purely for comfort. But when I am truly thirsty, only a big glass of water does the job.
And for my truly thirsty soul, only the Spirit can do the job. Jesus understood this need:
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from with him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39
My soul is thirsty. My soul needs what only Jesus can provide – the Spirit. I find that my thirst for the Spirit is never satisfied. I never say to myself, “Okay I’ve had enough now.” I crave the constant presence that is the Spirit.
As I walk through my days, may I always keep in mind what the Lord said to Zerubbabel. In this passage from Zechariah, an angel is talking to Zechariah, telling of the monumental task ahead to rebuild the temple.
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6
Whatever is ahead of me, whatever task is asked of me by the Lord, it will be done by his Spirit. Not by might or power. Not by my own strength or will.
By the Spirit, who fills my soul to overflowing. By the Spirit, who is both my sustenance and my comfort.
Diona
Sixty-six books in a year 