Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Thirsting for The Springs of Living Water

 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:13-15)


My day to day secular job requires me to do door to door marketing. Here in the deep south, it is very hot and staying hydrated is essential. One day I forgot to bring a bottle of water and so I became thirsty very quickly and began to feel the effects of dehydration. Fortunately a neighbor offered me some water and I was grateful for the relief. Without water we die.


Jesus promises us a spring of living water welling up to eternal life. My experience with the absence of real water reminded me that we cannot be absent of Jesus' life giving spirit. We are refreshed from within. For the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well, she recognized the Messiah for He told her everything she did. (John 4:39) Often we deny whatever we have done excusing our sins. As Paul reminds us it is our trespasses that makes us dead. (Eph. 2:1-3) But Jesus desires us to know our sins so that we recognize who we are and appreciate the life giving spirit He has to offer. For indeed we are thirsty. No wonder those who thirst after righteousness will be satisfied as it is Christ's righteousness that we need and it is His righteousness we thirst after. (Mt. 5:6)


When Jesus died upon the Cross, one of His last words was "I thirst." (John 19:28) He became death so that we may have life. In order to be made right with God we need to see the drought of our lives and thirst for the righteousness that only God provides through the Cross of Christ.