He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. – John 7:38 KJV
Walking with God is far more than being a regular member of a church denomination or joining a service department; it is more of experiencing God on a personal level even as we fellowship and worship God alongside other people whether in a church building or with loved ones in our homes. Similar to the way you feel hunger pangs in your belly when you’re hungry and not even your spouse or closest friend could know how you feel or share in those feelings, experiencing God is very personal and is not a shared adventure (like watching a movie or playing some sport together).
Spiritually speaking, the belly is more than a place where food is stored or processed in the human anatomy, [just like the heart is more than just a place where blood flow is regulated]. As a matter of fact, the belly is so centralized in our body system that it affects our personal desires, emotions, needs, goals and pursuits in life. You would agree with me that no one needs a doctor to tell him if he’s hungry or not; the hunger pangs he feels are enough for that. It is a personal experience! Jesus knows how it feels when your belly is empty and growling for food (See Matthew 4:2); He knows that hunger is such a personal experience deep in the belly of a person.
Therefore, Jesus uses the context of a stomach to drive home His point – which is simply that: God must be experienced personally by every one of His children, and this cannot happen if we do not put our faith in Him! When we believe in Him holding nothing back, He will bring us to the place where we will have the Holy Spirit living in us to refresh and renew us every time!
The Holy Spirit, being the living water that Jesus promises to give His people, is the One who brings us into the experiential knowledge of God. He opens our eyes to see the truth and to deliver us from the lies/temptations of the devil. He illuminates our mind and helps us to understand as we study the Word of God. He renews our faith when the enemy wants to make us doubt and also gives us hope when we go through unpleasant situations. He empowers us to fulfill our God-assigned destinies on the earth. He makes heaven very real to us and assures us of the eternal life which we have been given by the Lord!
Have you received this living water [the person of the Holy Spirit] in you? Do you know that God desires all His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit so they could always triumph over the world, the flesh and the devil? This is one of the most important blessings that heaven has made available to the people of God, and for this we must bless the name of the Lord and ask Him to help us receive His blessing in our lives!