Invoking God’s Blessings I

‘On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!’ John 7:37

The second significance of ingathering is to invoke God’s blessings. Jesus brought this feast to a physical end when He stood on the last day and declared ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!’. Jesus is saying the living waters come from Him. In Israel, the entire nation goes through at least seven months of no rain. So when they celebrate the feast of ingathering they are invoking the rain, the former and latter rain, to come in the first month. If God does not bring this to pass, then they will experience famine. So their celebration of ingathering as it were is to guarantee the future of the coming year. By God’s grace before this year ends, God will have given you a guarantee of the former and the later rain in the first month. Jesus is saying that living waters, the water that gives life, comes from Him. The same way you are expecting the early rain and the later rain to come. The same way that if the rains do not come, you will be in serious trouble. Jesus is saying similarly if the Holy Spirit does not shower down on you, you will be in trouble. How we need the Holy Spirit! We need the Holy Spirit every day. Jesus is saying just as the nation of Israel trusts God and waits patiently for the rain. We too are to trust God and wait for the rain of the Holy Spirit before we can see that harvest. For some of us harvest next year represents great businesses, a spouse, children, houses, or cars. God is saying you need the rain to come before the harvest. When you are trusting God for a car for instance, you need the Holy Spirit. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled’ Matt.5:6 [KJV]. There must be a burning desire for the things of God. This is why Jesus lifted up His voice and shouted. He was trying to create a thirst in the hearts of the people. You find Christians today who do not care about the Holy Spirit. God is saying the Holy Spirit is a requirement for us to experience the harvest and invoke God’s blessings.

Prayer [song]: ‘I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee’, in Jesus Name.