“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

It’s funny how one small thing could be so important.
Take water for example, if one were to go without it for three days, the consequences would be terminal.  Vital organs would shut down and the body would die.  Water is THAT important to each of us.  Sometimes we might take it for granted, especially those of us who live where fresh water is in abundance.

I recently suffered a mild bout of heat exhaustion…and it wasn’t pretty.   It happened this week while taking my children to a theme park in Orlando.  The temperature was well past the 90 degree mark, and we were in the throws of a typical Florida summer: HOT.  Like a typical guy I thought I could “handle it”.  We went from attraction to attraction and I apparently did not drink enough water nor stay out of sun as much as I should have.  By the evening, as crowds continued to ebb and flow and we lined up for one more long wait on a new attraction, I had a pounding headache and became horribly sick to my stomach.

Yes, water is THAT important.
I learned a valuable lesson that day.
(It’s good to still learn lessons, and I hope we never stop learning them…however hard they may be from time to time)

I also have a new found appreciation for a nice cold glass of water.
If you have ever been truly thirsty while working out in the hot sun, you too will understand.
Nothing quenches your dry throat and deep thirst like a cold cup of water.
Water brings with it life…a spark to carry on…a refreshing spring to desert land.

Similarly, Jesus uses this cultural understanding of a dry and thirsty land to explain what He had come to do for all who were seeking.  He would quench the thirst of the heart and soul.  He could bring a refreshing like no other known to earth.  His “living water” would provide life – true eternal living – to the soul!  How could we not wish to drink from this source of living water?  How could we not yearn for His presence in our lives when the world around us at times is a rather arid and lonely place?   His living water can heal our brokenness.  His living water can restore our static and sun burnt lives.  He provides this freely…and the beauty of this living water is that we can come to this source of real life and drink over and over again.

Are you thirsty today?
Have you been to the living waters?  It will quench the thirst of your soul!  Jesus longs for us to come to Him and stay beneath his fellowship and beside these living waters.  Sometimes, I must confess, that I have thought (like my bout with heat exhaustion) that I could handle it on my own…but I was wrong.  Perhaps you’re a bit like me.  Perhaps there are days where you feel that you require no such support and that this living water is not really needed.  May we run to these living waters once again.  Don’t wait too long!  Don’t assume you have it all “worked out” and that you don’t need His help.  Drink from these living waters again…and be healed!

Something more for us to ponder today.
To God be the glory!