X-alt: December 2011

Thirst More Than Satisfied!

Our December X-alt was really about the extravagance of God in satisfying our thirst.  There were two things we looked at as part of this: Quantity and Quality!

Quantity

Last month we looked at Jesus’ words about how when we believe in him “rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, according to the Scriptures” (John 7:37).  This gives an idea of quantity, but there are some passages which give us a better idea – particularly Ezekiel 47.  The temple was where God had lived among his people, but the New Testament talks about how the Holy Spirit now lives within believers like us!  We are temples of the Holy Spirit which when you take the words from Ezekiel with Jesus’ words makes this a pretty big deal!  Not only do we get our thirst quenched by the vast river of the Spirit, he also flows out of us bringing life and fruitfulness wherever he goes.

In terms of quantity, Ezekiel’s vision shows that there is so much of this water that there is plenty to swim in!  There’s no need to go thirsty when there’s so much, and we don’t need to worry that God might dry up and be unable to meet demand!  And it’s more than just a picture – it’s an invitation as one person wrote: ‘to come and live in the river of God and partake of, and participate in, His life.’  This is awesome stuff!!!

So why do we still feel thirsty if all this is true?  If we go back to John 7, we see Jesus’ words: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.”  For our thirst to be satisfied needs us to go to him and drink as well as believe – and often we don’t.

I showed the following clip of someone jumping into the river and letting go of the things which they needed to let go of.  I  encouraged you to let God speak to you through it and jump into the river of the Holy Spirit and let yourself be overwhelmed and swept away by him, drinking deeply as you went.  Why not do that now?
Click here to watch The River
Quality

The quality of this river is obvious in the life it brings!  But for all its quantity, the picture of the river isn’t enough for God’s extravagance!  We looked at Isaiah 55:1 (the NIV gives a better translation) and Joel 3:18.  There’s not just water to drink, but wine and milk!  These were real luxury drinks of the time – symbols of complete satisfaction.

An abundance of wine was considered a sign of blessing and prosperity from God and it was considered a source of joy – something that has been created for people and is good.  Maybe this is why Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine?  At a wedding where all the wine had been drunk already, he then produces another 908 bottles worth!  Jesus was no party pooper!  He started his ministry as he meant to go on with a scandalous act of generosity.

Then there’s milk which is also mentioned and symbolises blessing and luxury.

One thing that milk and wine have in common is that they are sensuous drinks.  And so we read in Song of Songs the words of the male lover that he finds wine and milk under the woman’s tongue (Song 4:11, 5:1)!  How does he find that out – probably not with a torch and asking her to open her gob and say “aaah”!  This is the language of love, of deep kissing, the sort of thing you might be surprised to find in the Bible, but it’s there!

So when we think about experiencing God in terms of wine and milk, words which describe how we experience him could include: satisfaction, blessing, joy, enjoyment, intimacy, and love.

This time of year is party season and we’ve already seen that Jesus liked to party.  Take a look at that list and think about what people hope to get out of their parties this Christmas.  If you went to a party and this was your experience, it would be an incredible party!  But this Christmas, as with every year, many will be disappointed that the party didn’t live up to expectations.

Jesus showed that you can still be part of the fun without sinning, but he also promises the Holy Spirit to those of us who know him.  And when we receive the Spirit, this is what we get.  Let’s receive him and all this.  Make sure you party hard with Jesus this Christmas and all the rest of the time too!