John 4:14 His abiding presence_

And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke‬ ‭24:49‬ ‭NASB‬‬

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ‭‭John‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭NASB‬‬

The living water that Jesus promised the woman at the well is my Father’s habitation within me, His presence and the impact that comes with it. His abiding in me is a big deal. Other spirits inhabit people regularly, whether we know this or not. The divine design from the beginning was a living connection between heaven and earth. Do you think those brilliant or horrid ideas are your own? But at what point throughout history was the Most High, He, Himself, determined to make a place of repose within? This. Is. Incredible (and still is!)

Imagine being a disciple when they discovered that Jesus was actually alive after being brutally killed. Most believers have envisioned or seen depicted that violent death. They had such hope when they had found the Messiah, the one all Jews were looking for. He was beyond a doubt, the One. His words, teaching, authority, the miracles, obliterated every doubt — until he was taken. Their emotions went from euphoria to terror, then incredible disbelief when others testified that he was alive again. Once convinced, the disciples recognized the moment of history they were experiencing. He was dead, now is alive. What does this mean? Pause and imagine for a moment the weight of this event. They had already considered themselves “chosen” as his disciples. Then when their hope was resurrected with Jesus, they realized — this is the real deal. “How do we respond?” Jesus helped them:

Wait. The promise, the power, the direction is coming. Wait for Him.

The cohesion and understanding of human history may be found in the Holy Spirit. A man’s influence has a beginning and an end — and in view of our history, it is pretty short-lived. The Father and His kingdom on the other hand, is the continuity between generations, leaders, nations, cultures, and moments. Since man’s first sin, the creation has been like an old jalopy careening out of control down the highway. Bumper, fenders, parts, all falling off, pavement comes and goes, visibility dicey at times, with so many unpredictable outcomes. On man’s best day of planning, we reduce a small percentage of the variables over which we actually have control. But the Holy Spirit helps us navigate supremely down life’s road that in a manner no other could predict let alone know. The only reasonable response is to listen, follow, and trust. Jesus’ direction to those who observed him post-resurrection considered: no human effort, particularly among these men and women, could respond appropriately at this moment. Nor did they need to. That continuity of human history was about to stick another piece of the big puzzle picture together.

The fountainhead of those waters were released on the day of Pentecost. It was an event eagerly anticipated by both heaven and earth. The moment of impact was accompanied by a rushing mighty wind and fire above the heads of those gathered. They gushed forth in other languages speaking, most likely shouting, the praises of God. At its core this was the Father taking up residence in clean, swept, waiting, praying, and available men and women. The change, as titillating as the experience may have been, was to be an abiding presence of our God — in us. A fellowship with which we are to become quite accustomed.

The resurrection and His abiding presence change everything.

And today, in knowing who is within us, the encouragement from Isaiah is appropriate:

Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66:1-2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬