The Promiseنموونە
More Than Just a Trickle
“On hearing his words, some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘He is the Messiah…’” (John 7:40-41)
Jesus promised that whoever came to him and believed in him would have rivers of living water flowing from within. Notice that he promised, not a few drops, but rivers—plural. He is still saying today, “If you’re serious about coming to me, and you put your trust in me, I’m not going to give you just a trickle from a faucet. No, you’re going to have rivers of living water” … Imagine the Amazon and the Nile and the Mississippi Rivers, all flowing together. Such is the enormity of what Jesus has to offer.
Not only will he satisfy your need, but there’s also going to be an outflow of living water from within you that will help others. The sign of a healthy Christian is not someone who just says, “I’m satisfied with Jesus,” but someone who is always asking, “Whom can I help? Whom can I bless? Whom can I love in Jesus’ name?” But, oh, how few believers live with rivers flowing out of them! Many are just trying to make it through. The promise Jesus made is so great, that it may be hard for us to believe. But what he said is true: “You’ll have rivers of living water, if you’ll just come to me and drink.”
So what does it mean to come to him? Jesus defines it by explaining, “If anyone believes in me…” To come to him is nothing physical. It’s your heart, your soul, your mind, trusting him and saying, “Jesus, I trust you for what I need. Fulfill your promise to me.”
But what does it mean to trust? It means to lean your whole being on someone or something. That’s a picture of what many of us do, but we lean on the wrong things: We lean on people, we lean on our jobs, we lean on our education, we lean on our bank accounts.
Can you imagine how empty people must be to spend so much of their time occupied with the fantasies produced by Hollywood? There’s Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, and a host of other characters. What’s unbelievable is that people are debating and discussing them as if they were real. “Who’s your favorite superhero?” they ask one another. How empty must life be to be taken up with pure fantasy?
As Christians, we have a ready answer in the superhero debate: “Jesus is my Superhero!” We can lean on him, because he is a Rock and he is real!
Get focused on Jesus Christ today and trust him for all that you need.
To be continued…
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About this Plan
In his new devotional series, The Promise, Pastor Jim Cymbala address the malaise in our society today and the emptiness people are experiencing, as he explores an incredible promise that Jesus made. This devotional series will help anyone seeking meaning and fulfillment in their lives.
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