Do you believe?

I read an interesting passage in the Bible this morning, (John 7) and then the Bible teacher explained a custom from that time period that I hadn’t heard before.

During the celebration of the Feasts of Tabernacles, on the last and seventh day, all the people would follow the priest from the Temple to a spring at the Pool of Siloam singing Psalm 118. The priest would fill the water pot and the crowd would follow him to return back to the Temple steps. As he lifted up the pot of spring water, he would quote Isaiah 12:3. As the pot lifted above his head, he poured it out to cascade down the temple steps outward toward the people —  to signify and remind them that God gave them water in the wilderness during their 40-year trek out of Egypt.   

During this portion of the ceremony, in the quiet of the moment, the voice of Jesus is heard saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:36-38.

Can you imagine what people thought and felt? “This is Jesus, the little kid we saw growing up in Nazareth. He’s the son of the carpenter Joseph and his mother is Mary. Why is he acting like he is God? And where does he get living water that will quench our thirst forever?”

I’ve always wondered if I had been living during those three years of the public ministry of Jesus, would I have believed He was sent from God? Or would I doubt just like many of the people did? There were definitely plenty of people who believed and followed. Would I be in that crowd? Would it have been possible for me to personally know the blind man who received sight? What about the lame man who could walk again? (Can you imagine writing their stories for the newspaper?)

What about the crowd of people who had a fish dinner delivered while Jesus taught? Or what about Peter who owed a lot of money to the crooked government and tried his best to fish all night to pay the debt himself — but to no avail. Then Jesus suggested for him to throw out his nets one more time. The fish practically jumped in all by themselves and made the boat so full that Zebedee and his sons had to come and help. The catch paid off all the debt entirely — then Peter left that profession and started a ministry to catch “people” with Jesus.

Well, it was a long time ago, about this time of year when I felt the spirit of God tugging at my little heart as a seven-year old girl. I heard the preacher’s sermon, and knew I needed Jesus. I was shown some scriptures from the Bible that confirmed what I was feeling. I knew I was a sinner and I needed Jesus. Then they finally got to the scripture in Romans 10:13, that all I had to do was “ask” and Jesus would become my Savior.

After I prayed that prayer, I KNEW without a shadow of doubt that everything the Bible and what Jesus said was true. I know emotions can be deceiving. But I can tell you first hand … the burden of my sin was lifted off of my little heart that night and I wanted to run, skip and sing to tell everyone that Jesus had saved me. Just as He said He would.

I’m sure it was the same for those in that crowd at the Temple. When they believed what Jesus said, they knew it was right.

Now, here's the funny part. Right during my Bible study, I get a text and then a phone call from the Fraud Alert people. Someone in the northeast was trying to use my debit card number for a purchase of $20.45. “Is this you?” The young lady asked. “No ma’am.” I replied. “I’m still at the house getting ready to go to church.”

So, a new debit card is in store for me. But ironically I KNOW Jesus is not a fraud because I’ve experienced what He can do in my life and the unconditional love and support I have every day. 

If you are still weighing your options of believing in Jesus Christ or not, don’t wait too long. When your heart stops beating all of your opportunities to believe are gone.

I know this time of year, there’s a jolly man in a red suit some like to believe in. And elf’s and their pets. That’s all lots of fun — especially eating the gingerbread men with red hots! But we both know the difference in make believe and real. And I have experienced the “real” of Jesus Christ. And you can too.

Sure, watch out for frauds. There are people “pouring out just plain water” saying it will save you from your sins if you do this and that … just right. But the people who partake in that fraudulent act are still needy and searching for the “living water.” That only comes from the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ.

So put yourself in the crowd back on that day that John records in Chapter 7.  Would you have believed in Jesus? You can believe today.