When Sue and I were newly married the only kind of vacation we could afford was going to a campground and staying in a tent. We actually still like to do this. For those who have had this experience, you know that the thin layer of canvas or nylon doesn’t provide a lot of privacy from the other families camping near you: You can hear what they are saying, see what they are doing,  and smell what they are cooking. In no time at all, whether you intended to or not,  you get to know the other people in the campground really well, and they get to know you. Most times camping has been a very positive experience for us and we have gotten to know some amazing people as a result. 

In John 7 Jesus and His disciples make the journey up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Tabernacles was a harvest festival in the fall where people recognized God’s presence, as in the tabernacle tent, and God’s faithful provision in the harvest just gathered. In coming to Jerusalem they would build small, temporary tent like shelters to commemorate how the Israelites lived during the days of their wilderness wanderings. It was a campground atmosphere. It is in this setting that Jesus makes some of His most profound statements regarding what He came to do. In chapter 7 Jesus invites us to quench our thirst by drinking (believing in Him), resulting in a never ending flow of spiritual water from our inner lives. 

The work of Jesus in salvation does not simply add to whatever good we may think we already possess. The Gospel is a radical, supernatural transformation of the person that Jesus depicts as going from being a thirsty person to being a life that has a continuous stream of living water flowing from it. If you are coming to Jesus for a cup, or bucket of water at a time you will never be satisfied. Jesus offers to satisfy our thirst so much that we have an overflow of water continuously flowing from our soul. Join us this Sunday and hear the teaching of Jesus on how to satisfy your thirst and let the water flow from you.