24th May 2026

In the header scripture, Jesus presents a striking image: not a still pond, not a small stream, but a river that moves, that carries life and refreshes everything in its path. But perhaps, if we are honest, this doesn’t always match our experience; often we may feel more like a dry well than a flowing river. So, how might Jesus’s statement be true, even when we don’t feel like it?

Jesus’s words came during a great festival in Jerusalem during which water was central to the celebration. People were remembering God’s provision in the wilderness, when water flowed from the rock, and Jesus stood and made a bold claim: he is the source of true, living water. He is not just offering something external, but something that will be within those who believe. This is not religion we perform: it is life we receive.

In John 7:39, John tells us that Jesus was speaking about the Spirit. The ‘living water’ is the presence of the Holy Spirit – God himself given to us. This means we are not trying to reach up to God; in Jesus Christ, God has come down to us, and more than that, he has drawn us into his own life. The Father, Son, and Spirit live in an eternal communion of love, and through Jesus, we are included in that relationship. So, when Jesus spoke of ‘living water’, he was speaking of sharing in the very life of the Triune God. This is not something we produce; it is something we participate in.

Unfortunately, we can live with the assumption that our spiritual life depends on how well we are doing. If we feel strong in faith, we imagine the river is flowing, if we feel weak, we assume it has dried up. But Jesus does not say, ‘Whoever performs well…’, or ‘Whoever feels spiritually strong…’, rather he says, ‘Whoever believes in me…’. This belief is about trust: resting in who Jesus is, and what he has done. This belief is not something we work up, it comes from our union with Jesus. He is not only the object of our faith, he is the one who believes perfectly on our behalf, and we participate in his belief. Jesus lived the faithful human life we could not live, and he shares that life with us. So, the river does not begin with us; it begins with Jesus, which means even when we feel dry, the source has not run dry.

Jesus said the river flows ‘from within’, indicating that this is deeply personal, but it is not individualistic. The life of Christ in us is always moving outward: rivers flow, they bring life to others, sometimes in ways we don’t even notice: a word of kindness, a moment of patience, a quiet act of love, or a willingness to listen. We may think these are small things, but they are signs of the life of Jesus being expressed through us. 

Perhaps the invitation today is not to try harder, but to become more aware. To pause and ask, ‘Where is the river already flowing in my life?’ ‘Where is Christ present, even in small ways?’ ‘Where is grace at work, even when I don’t feel it?’ Because the truth is, the Spirit is always present. The river is always flowing. Our part is to join the flow, participate in the life he gives, and to trust and rest in his presence.

Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead 
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA

Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm

Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:  
wordoflife@gracecom.church