Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. | ||
| Isaiah 44:2-3 | ||
| Here, the Lord is encouraging Israel - here called Jacob and Jeshurun, or “righteous nation,” to not be afraid, that He would pour out the water of His Spirit upon a dry land. We know from Joel 2 that, as the tribulation period comes to a close, the Spirit will be poured out in such a way that perhaps multiplied millions of people will turn to the true and living God in that great and terrible day. This outpouring was previewed on the Day of Pentecost, but it was not completely fulfilled, for Joel 2 speaks of signs in the sky, of the moon turning to blood, and various symbols associated with the tribulation period. But it also speaks to us personally, for the Lord promises that He will pour water upon him who is thirsty and blessing upon his offspring. I like that because I need the Spirit to be poured upon me and upon my family. To whom does the Lord pour out His Spirit? Simply to those who are thirsty. And, in that, is a real key. We over-complicate and over-mystify the work of the Spirit in many cases when, in reality, the prerequisite for an outpouring of the Spirit upon your life is simply to say, “Lord, I’m thirsting for more of You.” That’s why Jesus said the woman who acknowledges her thirst is blessed, why the man who admits his hunger will be filled (Matthew 5:6). If you’re not thirsty, if you don’t have a desire to experience a fuller measure of the Spirit flowing through your life, how do you become thirsty? Ask a jogger or a basketball player. If you start expending energy and start sweating a bit, you’ll find yourself feeling thirsty real fast. The key is to get out and start ministering. Start sharing, loving, and caring - for it is when you’re in the place of loving your neighbor, of sharing with your friends and family, of witnessing to your co-worker, of expending energy, that you begin to thirst for more of the Lord. Pastor Jon Courson | ||
