It may be dry out, but the living water of Jesus’ Word and presence will keep us satisfied always.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Rain barrels and living water
Rainfalls have been spotty at best in many parts of our nation this summer. Crops are drying up, wells are running dry and even small lakes are drying up. Many have depleted enough to cause the boating and water sports industries to suffer. I think back to my gardening days when I set up a rain barrel to collect rainwater for the garden. And when a rain barrel empties, the garden hose takes its place. With that, the electric and water bills skyrocket. Most of us suffer in one way or another when we face a lack of rain.
We also suffer from natural or spiritual thirst. The Israelites, while wandering through the desert wilderness, encountered a lack of water. So God caused freshwater to spew forth from a rock that quenched their thirst. Then they complained that their food wasn’t as good as what they had been used to in Egypt so He sent manna, His heavenly bread as fine as frost on the ground and tasty as coriander, to satisfy their taste. The manna fell like rain.
Jesus met a woman at a well one day where she came to draw water. When she hesitated about giving Him a drink because He was a Jew who should supposedly be despising her because she was a Samaritan, He answered her with surprising words. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” … Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:10-14)
The woman’s spiritual thirst was quenched. Ours will be, too, when we become desperate for God’s presence in our lives. When we call out to Him with repentance and the longing to become one with Him, His Word and Spirit will fall like rain on our thirsty souls. Perhaps we should ask ourselves, how desperate are we for His love and forgiveness, His mercy and grace, His peace and joy? The Word of God tells us that He always hears and answers our desperation. He desires our love and devotion.
Lord, thank You that we do not have to depend on rain barrels and hoses to nourish us. Instill in our hearts a longing for the living water of Your Word and Spirit that will spring up like a fountain in everlasting life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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