John 7:38-39 ESV, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” (When he said, “living water” he was speaking of the Spirit who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not entered into his glory.).” NLT
In John 7:38, Jesus summarizes the meaning of several teaching passages that picture the Holy Spirit’s inward work in a believer as a river of water flowing out to bring blessings to others. The Holy Spirit empowers us and is available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus promised in John 14:15-16, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” Every believer has the Holy Spirit within them (Romans 8:9). By faith, we have access to the Holy Spirit’s power each day. But how often do we access this as we go about our day-to-day duties?
Rivers have a course they follow. Rivers are natural streams of water that flow from their source to larger bodies of water, such as lakes or oceans, and have a defined path or channel that flows toward a lake or another river. A river always flows downhill. Much like our emotions, desires, actions, and motives flow from the source from which all our actions flow – our heart. Proverbs 4:23 warns us, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
For the one who puts their trust and faith in Jesus, He offers a perpetual river of living water, due to the gospel. “Essentially Jesus said, “Put your loving trust in Me, enthrone Me in your heart, and life and abundance will flow out.” Blue Letter Bible, David Guzik Commentary. We should become channels through whom the overflowing rivers of blessings we receive can be passed on to others in need through us, from the Holy Spirit. Whatever your spiritual gifts and talents are, be it leadership, encouragement, showing compassion, serving, etc., use them so that the blessings flow through you to others for God’s glory and reflect His grace.
Every day, we get one day closer to what God wants us to be to finish well, and it is an ongoing process called sanctification. May we not dam up how we can impact others by keeping the blessings in our lives, given to us by the Holy Spirit, lest we become stagnant, cynical, and mean-spirited. We need to have our blessings flow like a river, for the freshness is in the flow, as we guard our hearts, for which all our actions flow. Live on your daily dependence of the Holy Spirit to fill you continually and give you a whole new way to look at life. Ask Him to keep your rivers flowing from living a cross-centered life, from which the source of life flows out of the heart – “rivers of living water (John 7:28).” True faith in Jesus leads to a profound spiritual transformation. It emphasizes that believers will experience a flow of life-giving water from within, symbolizing spiritual vitality and abundance, carried with refreshment, joy, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and acknowledging that the power comes through you, not from you (quote from Fred Smith).”
Listen to I Speak Jesus (feat. Steven Musso), Charity Gayle.