Daily Devotional
Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in
the Bible.
The Wisdom of God
Verses for the Day:
Proverbs
25:25 (KJV):
25 As cold waters to a
thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Proverbs 25:25 (AMP):
25 Like cold water to a
thirsty soul, so is good news from a far (home) country.
Thoughts for the Day:
This verse
from Proverbs makes a comparison between hearing good
news, and drinking cold water when one is thirsty. When we are far from home and
we hear good news, it is like a drink of cold water when one is thirsty. The
Bible uses many allegories, parables and examples that use "water" to describe
spiritual principles and truths. One of the greatest ones is that Jesus,
Himself, is described as being "living water." There is a story in the New
Testament about Jesus giving this "living water" to a woman he met at a water
well.
John 4:7-15:
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me
to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew,
askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it
is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he
would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well
is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither
come hither to draw.
When we receive
Jesus into our hearts and make Him Lord and Saviour, it truly is like receiving
"living water." We then have access to all that we will ever need, and we can
truly drink from a well that never runs dry. Many of our Christian songs have
expressions about coming to Jesus when we are "thirsty and dry" and receiving
that wonderful drink of water that quenches our spiritual thirst. When we ask
for this water, like this woman at the well did, we will find that cold
drink of water, and that well that never runs dry, and it is the good news of
the gospel.
The Holy Spirit is
also symbolically referred to as water (as well as wind and fire). When we
receive Jesus in our hearts, we receive the cleansing water of salvation. We can
also ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that spiritual water will then
bubble out of us. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, that water will
John 7:37-39:
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)
We are also
commanded to be baptized in water once we have repented from our sins and have
received Christ into our hearts, just as John the Baptist baptized those who
came to him and confessed their sins. However, John also spoke of another
baptism -- the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). He said Jesus would
baptize us in the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:8: I
indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost.
Many people have been "born again" and have the Holy
Spirit working in their lives, but have never received the "Baptism in
the Holy Ghost" which equips them for service and gives them the power
needed to overcome in Christ. This is a gift of God that is available if
we ask for it.
Acts 1:5 & 8:
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence...
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
If you, as a Christian, have not known the power of
God in being able to overcome sin, to witness, and to know God in His
fullness, then you need to ask God for the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
There were also Christians in Paul's day who did not know about the
power that was available to them. We find this recorded in:
Acts 19:2-6:
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be
any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said,
Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,
saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should
come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. Truly, Your spiritual water
has quenched my thirsty soul. May I be like one who brings good news from a far
land, as I testify and witness to those around me who do not know about the
Living Water found in Christ. Lord, fill me daily with the Holy Spirit so that I
may overflow with those living waters and minister life to others. Lord, speak
to Your children who do not have this gift, and reveal to them their need to
receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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