Lush forest from the desert. Life from emptiness. An end to the thirst of an empty heart. That is the life of followers of Jesus.

The rivers of living water flow from the filling of the Holy Spirit. The scripture is clear. It comes from deep within, from a cleansed and satisfied heart full of the glory of God Himself. Not from education, talent, practice, effort, protocol, religious repetition, traditions. Those things are but filthy rags compared to a river of living water. The things of man, the wisdom of man, actions of man, can not quench the thirst nor bring life to the desert.

Why would we turn to a man with a bucket of dirty water, when we are offered a flowing river of crystal pure water? How can we be so blind as to turn to man? All the wisdom of all man who ever lived combined could barely fill a single small bucket, compared to the life-giving flow of living water pouring out of God’s heart. Why settle for the tiny bucket?

Dive into the river of flowing clear pure water! Be submerged and filled with the life of the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the teacher, the power of God. If we lack, if we thirst, if we hurt, it is not because Gods promises are untrue, it is because we chose the bucket of man’s wisdom over the flowing river.

Too many of God’s people continue on thirsty, hurting, sad because they have not tasted the living water. They turn quickly to the buckets of man’s water for help. If God’s promises are real, if He is true, then HE is the answer to every question, the solution to every problem!

Now… Understand, many times God may lead us through heavenly guidance to earthly tools. To say “you should never go the the doctor or read a psychology book” would be a perversion of this great truth. The point is where do you turn FIRST? Do you seek God to know where to turn or do you place blind faith in man’s system to lead you? There is nothing wrong with going to the doctor that God sent you to…. As long as He sent you and you know that!

The river of living water is within us, when we walk with Jesus. His presence fills our every bit of being, every thought, every deed, for every minute of every day. Every decision is passed through the waters, every action baptized in the waters, every thought buried deep within those waters.

And then, we will never thirst again. We will live in and through the waters, and glow with the glory of God to all around us.

It is called Pentecost. The infilling of the very Spirit of God into the hearts of those committed to Jesus, submitting to His leadership and ownership over our souls.