Day 5: Rivers of Living Water
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.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive (John 7:37-39).
Sovereign, mighty God our Father, great is Your power...all the earth bows down before You...You rule forever by Your power. (Psalm 66:3-4, 7). From everlasting to everlasting You are God (Psalm 90:2), and Your plans... stand firm forever (Psalm 33:11).
The hymnwriter's words, "Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might..." are so meaningful as we gaze in wonderment at the details of Your unfolding will. In the pages of Scripture we watch You weave the breathtakingly intricate themes of the past into present and future—pointing unmistakably to the Savior to come and to Your plan for the redemption of humanity. And we bow and pray as did the prophet Isaiah:
Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1).
Who but God can provide the clear and distinct outline of a plan so far beyond the scope of human thought, and then masterfully fill in its details with ever-increasing clarity and completeness?
You established Your covenant with a people, leading them into deliverance, and providing them with life-sustaining water in the parched wilderness: [You] split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; [You] brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers (Psalm 78:15-16).
But in Your flawless interface of past with future, You were providing a symbol of the ultimate fulfillment of Your covenant in The Rock, Christ Jesus Himself... the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). In Him, and through Him, You reveal with greater clarity Your full and complete eternal deliverance—as He issues the invitation to the parched and thirsty soul: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink" (John 7:37).
And You seal Your unfailing promise with the Presence of the Holy Spirit, "Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).
Great and mighty God, the psalmist prayed, I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your unfailing love and Your faithfulness, for You have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses Your fame (Psalm 138:2).
Who but God could for centuries continue to hold Your faithful word on display, untainted by the machinations of man, untouched by the ravages of history—preserving its integrity even as the details emerge—so that the truly seeking heart may believe what You have declared:
I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’ (Isaiah 46:10).
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