Friday, July 16, 2021

John 4 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

John 4:14

“but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

 

Bottle of Dasani, $.99. Bottle of Aquafina, $1.49. Bottle of Fiji, $2.49. Spring of Living Water… Priceless!!! Tonight, the combination of coffee and lack of water threw me into a whole-body cramp. Let me tell you, it was super painful and uncomfortable. I couldn’t function very well! So, I asked the Lord what I could learn from this, and He led me down this path: “The way you felt tonight is how people feel when they don't allow themselves to drink from the Living Water, my Son Jesus!!!”

 

In a desert, the most important thing is water, and the same is true In our lives. See, our lives are like the desert most of the time, and the only thing that can sustain us is the Living Water, Jesus Christ! Jesus promises us not only a drink but our own spring of Living Water that cannot only allow us to drink but those around us to drink also!

 

So, a question for reflection: is your spiritual man dying of dehydration in the desert? We have to stay connected to the Pure Water source in order to keep flowing and keep hydrated!!! Don't be like me and wait till your cramped up and can’t move to decide to drink. Get up daily and fill up on Living Water and walk boldly, confidently, and courageously through the deserts of this life!!!!

 

Be hydrated, Stay thirsty, Be refreshed and be refreshing!!! Thank You, Jesus, for always pouring Yourself into us and out for us!!!

 

I love you all. God bless, and Glory to God Jesus and the Holy Spirit!!!

 

 

John 4:31-34

Meanwhile His disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then His disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.”

Jesus is feasting on something much greater than good; are we? Jesus isn’t saying that He doesn’t need to eat but rather that true nourishment comes from doing the will of the Father and walking in step with Him. Physical food can sustain you for a time, but true Spiritual food can sustain you for all time! What are we feeding on today? Are we feeding the flesh, the sin, and the strongholds inside of us that want to destroy us? Or are we feeding on God’s Word, His Presence, and His will for our lives? The principle is simple but true: what we feed will grow.

Too often, we can be our own worst enemy, crying out for deliverance, all the while feeding that sin and making its grip upon us stronger. Don’t get me wrong; the Lord can set us free in an instant. He doesn’t need our help, but can I offer an analogy? If I struggle with pornography and I’m crying out, “Lord, save me and deliver me from this,” but all the while feasting on more and more pornography, then what can I expect the outcome to be? But if I start to turn from the pornography towards God, then I can expect that prayer to be met with a resounding yes!

There aren’t a lot of things we can control, but we can control who or what is feeding us, the Living God or the dying world.

Ephesians 4:22-24- You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God bless! I love you all, but His love paid the price! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

John 4:43-45

After the two days, He left for Galilee. (Now Jesus Himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) When He arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all that He had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

They welcomed Him not because of who He is but because of what He could do for them or what they could get out of Him. Are we guilty of this same offense? Does our relationship with Christ hinge upon what He can give us or all that He gave for us? There is a difference, and it matters. Christ does provide, there is no doubt about it, but our relationship with Him can't be built upon Him fulfilling our wants and wish lists. It must be built upon the truth of God's word and a love relationship with Him. He isn't looking for mindless robots, but He is also not looking to be someone's genie in a bottle that just pops up when they need Him and grants their every wish.

He is and always will be the God of all creation who came to earth and conquered death once and for all! This doesn't mean we keep things from Christ or that we don't ask Him for things, but are we only seeking Him for what He can give us in this life? And how do we respond when the answer is no? Does the no affect the way we serve Him or how we love Him? If so, then we may need to check our hearts and see who is truly on the throne. For if God tells us no in every instance of this life and yet says yes to our eternity with Him, then we have received more than we deserve and should walk in gratefulness before Him!

Let us not make this mistake of welcoming Christ for personal gain, but let us welcome Him as the King of glory who has given us true riches in Him and is worthy of all praise!

Psalm 24:8-10- Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— He is the King of glory.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is mighty to save! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment