A Life-Giving Drink

It was early but already the promise of another hot day could be felt. High temperatures paired with high humidity make for such a hot day here in the sandhills. My husband and I had just fixed ourselves a cup of coffee and as I started to sit down at the table something at the pond caught my eye. I watched a minute or so and was pretty sure I saw some movement, but since we have been fooled sometimes by the sunlight streaming through the trees, I decided to grab the binoculars. It was not a trick of sunlight after all! A deer, a rather large doe, stood in the water and she was taking a good long drink of that cool, refreshing water. We watched her for several more minutes until she turned and made her way back up through the woods. Maybe we will get to see her again, for she will need another drink of water.

While watching the deer get her drink, I began to think about the Living Water provided to us through Christ. In the encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus tells her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.” John 4:13 (CEB). Does this mean we will not feel thirsty ever again; will we not have a dry, parched throat on a hot and humid day? No, of course we will need to drink again and again, but having the water of which Christ spoke is spiritual water. The Believer’s Bible Commentary explains it this way, “All that earth can provide is not sufficient to fill the human heart. But the blessings which Christ provides not only fill the heart, but they are too great for any heart to contain. The pleasures of this world are for a few short years, but the pleasures which Christ provides go on into everlasting life.”

Water is necessary for life; in every aspect of life, we need water. There are 722 mentions of water in the Bible! It is used for such basic tasks as cleaning and cooking. In Jewish culture it was common practice to immerse oneself into a mikveh, an immersion pool, for a purity ritual. It is interesting to note that the pool itself was a cistern to catch “living water” from a natural source like rain instead of using water drawn by human hands.

Revelation 7:16-17 offer this promise, “They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Have you accepted the life-giving drink that Jesus offers? In John 7:37-38 Jesus says, “All who are thirsty should come to me! All who believe in me should drink! (CEB)

You have been invited; will you accept?