On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:37-38
The world has caught on to the need for faith, but they don’t understand it. At Christmas time we see tree ornaments and decorations that just say, “Believe.” It’s a nice thought; unfortunately it usually refers to a movie about Santa Claus and getting to the North Pole if you will only believe. Christmas Movies tell us that Santa Claus can do miracles at Christmas if we will just believe in him! It’s misplaced and confused, but still, the glimmer of the idea of faith is there.
Twelve-step programs exhort us to believe in a Higher Power that will enable us to stay clean and sober. They, too, have latched on to the need for faith.
Here’s the missing link: Faith is only as good as its object. Faith is like a rope that can lift us up out of the pit, if it’s tied at the other end to something or someone powerful enough to do the lifting. If there’s nothing at the other end, it might make us feel better but it won’t deliver us.
The Lord Jesus was born at Christmas to be the Power at the other end of our rope. “To you is born this day a Savior, Who is Christ, the Lord.”
He said, “Whoever believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” When our faith is tied to Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit bubbles up out of our hearts to heal, deliver and refresh us and then flows through us to refresh the people who are nearby.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to be my Savior. Let the joy of Your Holy Spirit flow through me to refresh and bring healing to people close to me, especially today! ‘All my springs of joy are in You.’ Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles