Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1189422
18 "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." – John 7:37-38 Before that amazing night in Bethlehem when God broke through the thin space be- tween heaven and earth to celebrate the birth of His Son, God's people spent centuries as desert people, longing for the Great I Am to provide the Messiah. As a desert wan- derer, I am so grateful that the incarnated Christ is living water. Life is tough in the desert. It is dry, hot, and thirsty. It can be a lonely place when your only focus is on survival. The Israelites knew the struggle. They were called from Egypt to the desert. The desert is a place so harsh that you can only survive if you carry your food and water with you—or if your mighty God does miracles and feeds you manna and gushes out fresh water from a rock. Only He could do something like that (Nehe- miah 9:19)! Living water is that which comes directly from God in rain or snow—not water collect- ed in a cistern. When Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast, He called the million plus at the temple to come to Him. "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (John 7: 37). He was declaring to every hot, sweaty, and thirsty body jostling each other in the crowd, "I AM LIVING WATER! It is I that you have been waiting for!" In the desert, I realize how thirsty I am, as are my fellow travelers. Life is harsh. We need a drink from Jesus to even sustain our lives. The deepest blessing is that when we drink from Him, we are filled to overflowing! We then become the source of life to those around us walking around in their deserts. "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7: 38). "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11). Are you drinking from the spring of living water? Are you the cool refreshment that other desert-walkers need so desperately? As you gaze at Jesus this Christmas, drink deeply and then splash the overflow! The world need not remain thirsty. Gwen Hanna, MA AlumnA splAsh the overFloW December 13