Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.
Indeed the water I give them will become in them a
spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4: 13
Imagine you are out for a walk with your young children. It’s a hot summer day, and your red-faced youngsters begin to whine, exaggerate, and complain that they are absolutely dying of thirst. Despite your desire to get your steps in, you turn the stroller and kids around to return home, break out the sippy cups, once again, to satisfy their sunbaked thirst. Sustained for the moment, the next thing on the agenda is to start the Slip N Slide and enjoy some additional refreshment and recreation in the backyard before cleaning up for dinner. You finally get to grab your own mug of water, half- chuckling to yourself, “Water, what would we do without it?”
Grateful for clean, running water, you cannot begin to conceive of living in a third world country where water would be considered a luxury. Worse yet, you muse, would be walking any length at all, carrying a jug filled to the hilt, lifting, and hauling it back home again.
One of my favorite Bible stories is the time a tired Jesus approached a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well for a drink. This shocked the woman, as Jews did not associate with Samaritans in any way (John 4: 5-9).
The Woman at the well went on to question him. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4: 10).
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?” (John 4: 11-12).
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4: 13).
The woman understood these words literally, not spiritually. Then in the course of their conversation, Jesus surprises her by speaking of her sinful past and reveals facts about her immoral living.
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet” (John 4: 19).
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we know; for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and the truth” (John 4: 21-24).
The woman said, “I know that “Messiah” (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us” (John 4: 25).
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he” (John 4: 26).
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman (John 4: 27).
Then leaving her water jar, the woman ran back to town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4: 29).
The Woman at the well, like us, had sinned; she had made mistakes trying to satisfy the empty feeling in her hungry heart. Sometimes we try to quench our thirst with worldly things thinking we will become whole, but the hole only becomes a pit of despair and brings us down.
Jesus, however, always makes an offer to lift us up, offering living water. As daughters of the Most High King, we never truly see ourselves until we look with our hearts and are lifted to where we should be, through his holiness. Our All-Knowing Savior counsels us out of a fallen world into his open arms. It is at that point that we wake up realizing that we thirst no more.
Let’s Pray.
Jesus,
Thank you for helping me make connections with women in Scripture. Your living water refreshes me and cleanses me to uphold your virtues. As I rest and release my past to you, I am able to relax and recharge through the amazing power of your grace. As I listen, I hear you speak in my soul. I envision honoring you all the days of my life.
Amen.
My friend, thank you so much for being here. It is my prayer that in these warm summer days you will “thirst no more,” and seek to refresh yourself from the Gift of His Living Water.
Until next time…
May the Spirit of God lead you, the Word of God sustain you, and the promises of God grant you the gift of everlasting peace.
Enjoy a beautiful day!
With love and blessings...
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For further reflection think about how amazing it is that Christ knows us intimately, even before we reveal ourselves in prayer. Then just as the Samaritan woman ran to tell others about her encounter with Jesus, who can you share his saving power with to make a difference in their lives? Email your prayer requests, and/or tell me how his Living Water impacts you at sue@faithfirstwomen.com
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Today’s reflection was taken from Nourish Your Soul: 7 Secrets for Women Seeking Peace. Grab it today on Amazon at https://amzn.3xuddZw.
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Author of Nourish Your Soul: 7 Secrets for Women Seeking Peace
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