In these days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of us are making resolutions about the year ahead. We’ve got relationships we’d like to strengthen and new habits we’d like to develop. There are goals we’d like to achieve and deep longings we’d like to satisfy. And somewhere amid all those resolutions, I’d like to think there might be one or two that focus on our relationship with Christ. And if there are, today’s word from John Chapter 7 offers a promise that’s worth being excited about.

Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. And “on the last and greatest day of the festival,” the Bible says, “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (7:37-39)

So, let me suggest that, in the end, all of our potential resolutions are expressions of a deeper thirst—a thirst for meaning and wholeness…a thirst for love and belonging. And the good news is that Jesus came to satisfy that thirst!

Now, does that mean that we’ll get all our projects done, or that we’ll meet all our goals to lose weight or be better organized? Well, not necessarily.

But it does mean that if we acknowledge our thirst and ask Jesus to fill it, he’ll give us the only thing that truly satisfies—his Spirit, living within us, and gushing fountains of endless life.

So in these days, let’s make our resolutions. But may “coming to Jesus” be our main resolve. Because in him, we’ll find what we truly need. Amen.