Lenten Devotion for Tuesday, April 8
By Anna Flynn
Read John 7:37-44
During my semester abroad in England, I traveled to Amboise, France, for a week with a friend. My friend’s only request for our trip was to rent bicycles and ride them through the French countryside to the Chateau de Chenonceau.
Although I am not a person who jumps at the chance to do physical activities nor am I the most physically fit, I decided to take the challenge. Never have I been so wrong.
The trip to the chateau went smoothly enough, but I didn’t notice that the route was all downhill. Pedaling home was quite a different experience.
I have never been so thirsty and exhausted in my life (we forgot to carry any water with us). I ended up walking my bicycle most of the way back to our hotel while my friend rode on ahead of me.
In our reading today, Jesus is calling His followers to quench their thirst for something greater than themselves with the words of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wants everyone to drink from the river of living water, to be filled with faith that only the Holy Spirit can provide.
As Christians, we are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6) and to always be striving to grow in our faith and our relationship to God. We are only able to quench this thirst through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I was thirsty in the middle of the French countryside for a drink of water; we must continue to quench the immense thirst in our lives with the Spirit’s living water that empowers our hope and energizes our faith to produce fruit for Christ’s glory (Ps. 1:3).
We pray: Jesus, help us to look to You to quench our thirst. Thank You for giving us the Spirit to continue our growth in You. Amen.
Family Discussion
Can you remember a time when you were so thirsty beyond normal? How did it feel when you finally got a drink of water? Do you want to grow by drinking from the river of living water? Talk about ways that you can drink. As a family how can we support each other in our journey to drink?
Everyday Object
Place a full glass of water in the middle of the table while you read this devotion. Don’t drink anything throughout the devotion. Doesn’t just having the water sitting there make you feel thirsty? At the end of the devotion share the water with your family.
