The title of my blog may cause you to ask, "What is a Jabbok anyway?" It's taken from the Jabbok River mentioned in Genesis 32. The Jabbok River is known as the location where Jacob wrestled with God and was forever changed from the all night encounter. The river itself is known to be swift and to flow deep.So, it is my desire to create a blog that leads people to an encounter with God that runs swift and deep into every part of life.
John 7:37-- Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
For Jesus to stand up meant that he was calling attention to a special mesage. In Jesus' time, it was common for the speaker to sit down unlike today. So in this instance everyone knew that Jesus was about to do something exceptional.
What strikes me most is the simplicity of Jesus. Just imagine being in the very presence of Jesus, the Son of God as he says the words "come to me". The offer from the King of kings is open to anyone! What would the world look like if they knew it was that simple? It is simply a matter of realizing that what we truly need can only come from Jesus and then let Him consume our life.
I have found that the most amazing thing happens when a person actually becomes consumed with living for Jesus Christ. They have a daily unquenchable desire for more because they know that they have experienced something that they cannot find anywhere else. It is as simple as being consumed and consuming all you can in a passionate pursuit of all things excellent in the cause of Christ.
Something else that stands out to me is the clarity of Jesus. He says in a loud voice, "drink". He is ready to pour into our lives as much as we will recieve. It's not a matter of finding the source or searching for some hidden treasure. He has already come to us. The fact is, we are to drink from the wealth of God's Word over and over and over! When is the last time you asked the Lord to fill you until streams of living water flowed from within you?
Then, consider the transparency of Jesus. Without hesitation or fear of rejection, Jesus claimed to be deity, varified the work of the Trinity, and revealed the result of faith in him. Jesus is the only source. The mention of "streams of living water" is a reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. And when we tap into the source continually, an abundance of the Holy Spirit will flow from us into the lives of others.
Romans 1:16 states, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." The power is being transparent in the gospel message so that all who hear may believe and drink of the living water.
When we are willing to simply and clearly be transparent with this message, the purity and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit will infiltrate every part of life and cause a change in our lives that can only be the result of the all-consuming power Jesus Christ!
