HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

When the word “overflow” is used, it’s often not in reference to a positive experience. Maybe you have been in the unenviable position of having to frantically fix an overflowing toilet. If something has overflowed, it’s typically bad news. But, God’s desire is for us to experience the overflow of His goodness. In fact, Jesus made a significant promise in the middle of John’s gospel, and it is really good news!

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now, this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39

What’s interesting about the time and location of this teaching is that it’s on the last day of the Festival of Shelters/Tabernacles. This was a celebration that, in part, memorialized God’s holy dwelling place in both the Tabernacle built by Moses and the Temple built by Solomon. At the height of this celebration, Jesus announced something amazing – a day is coming when God’s presence will no longer reside in the temple, but the Holy Spirit is coming and will live in anyone who desires His presence.

The result of this event will be rivers of living water flowing from our lives. And notice, Jesus, says rivers of living water, not lakes of living water. This is intentional because rivers are always moving. What God is doing in you will eventually be something He uses to impact others. The Holy Spirit is designed to flow through you, where it transforms you and it blesses those around you!

Rivers have a big impact on the areas they flow through. They remove dead debris, water the areas around them, and leave their surroundings changed. This is a picture of what the Holy Spirit wants to do through us. By His power, He wants our surroundings to look different as a result of His presence flowing through our lives. Our homes, churches, neighbourhoods, and workplaces will be different because of what is happening to us.

Today let’s ask God’s presence to flow through us so that we might leave places, people, and circumstances looking different as a result of the Holy Spirit’s power flowing through us.

Scriptures

John 7:37-39 

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

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