August 27

An Open Fountain

If any man thirst, (Jesus Christ, spiritual water) let him come unto me, and drink. — John 7:37

Every word here is full of meaning. “If” marks the one condition to which the Saviour’s invitation is addressed. Of course, if we do not thirst we will not care to come to the well and drink. Souls are dying all about us, not because there is no water near, but because they are not thirsty. Intense thirst is a pitiable condition; but the lack of soul-thirst is infinitely more pitiable. It is hopeless. The words “any man” show us how universal is our Lord’s invitation. The cry was not to “any Jew” , nor to “any man of good character,” but to “any man.” No one is left out. The word “thirsty” describes the need which Christ is able to supply. It is not bodily thirst, but thirst of the soul, which He offers to quench. For the soul as well as the body has its thirst, and there is no spring of earth at which they can be satisfied.

The words “let him come” show us the gate to the fountain flung wide open. There is no barrier in the way. “Let him come” reminds us, however, that if we would have our thirst quenched by Christ we must really come to Him. We must leave our dry wastes, where no water is, and come to Christ. We cannot find Christ while we stay in our sins.

The word “drink” tells us that we must receive Christ Himself into our hearts if we would have our thirst satisfied in Him. Merely going to a spring and looking at its sparkling waters will never quench anyone’s thirst; we must drink of the waters. So, looking at Christ is not enough to bless us; we must take Him into our life and let His Spirit fill our hearts. This new picture of Christ presents Him as a great well in the desert. The water gushes from a cleft in the rock. We understand the meaning of the cleft, — Jesus died that there might be water for our soul’s thirst.