And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.— Revelation 22:17
Moses, standing in the midst of people who had fallen down in worship of the golden calf said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” (Exodus 32:26).
In Isaiah God said, “Come now, and let us reason together” (1:18) and “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters” (55:1).
To the men who wanted to know where Jesus lived, He said, “Come and see” (John 1:39). Jesus also said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
We are given this invitation as the book of Revelation draws to a close: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
That is the heart of God. He is calling out to humanity, saying, “Come to Me.” And what will happen if we come to Him? Our spiritual thirst will be quenched. It is an offer that He has extended to everyone. But it is an invitation, not a compulsion.
Deep down inside, we are all thirsty. There is a longing for things that the world simply cannot give us. We won’t find what we are thirsting for in a relationship. We won’t find it in a possession. We won’t find it through an accomplishment or an experience. All of these things will leave us empty.
Deep down inside, we are hungering and thirsting for God Himself.
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Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.