For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. — Isaiah 44:3 KJV
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. — Isaiah 44:3 NIV
Reflection
Jesus referred to himself as “the stream of life,” describing himself as a source of water that wells up to real life. He connected the Holy Spirit with this source of life-giving water. The imagery of water is also used throughout the New Testament to describe about being cleansed by the Holy Spirit, having our sins washed away in the water of baptism, and having the Holy Spirit pour out on us as if He were pouring out on us.
Because I live in an area that is frequently quite dry, the metaphor of water being able to quench my thirst and irrigate parched ground has a great deal of significance for me. But the experience of God’s Spirit coming to us to console, strengthen, gift, empower, convict, direct, and maintain us is incomparably more meaningful than any image that can be conjured up. The only thing that can ease the dry brittleness that exists within us when our souls are parched and our spirits are dry is the Holy Spirit of God. There is absolutely nothing else that can do this. Let us not forget the promise that Jesus made: Let us pray that God would send the Holy Spirit to slake our spiritual thirst and irrigate the parched ground of our spirits. Let us not forget the promise that Jesus made.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the assurance that Jesus gave me when he said that you would send your Holy Spirit if I prayed and asked for it. My request is not for something externally remarkable, but rather that you make the presence of the Spirit real. I beg that you quench my thirst and refresh my soul by the power of your Spirit at work in me. I pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen.