to never be thirsty again.

Water is an element that everyone, I would think, can agree is very necessary. It is one of those things that covers a little more than 2/3 of our entire earth and our bodies are made up of about 60% water. It is really no argument that water is important. I think I feel the importance of water even more in the summer. When the day's temperature pushes above 100 degrees all I can think about is drinking a huge glass of water or jumping into the pool.

Water is used in the Bible as a metaphor or symbol a lot. Isaiah 12:3 says "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation". In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 17, he refers to the Lord as "the fountain of living water". But what does all of this mean? We know that water is important. In fact, we need it to live. Imagine, without water, we would only be 40% of a person! So if the Lord is our fountain of living water... that must be something really important too.
 Jesus tells us he will not only provide that all-important water, but he provide us with water that with forever quench our thirst! In John 7:37-38 Jesus says, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."... sometimes it seems confusing though. I get that we have to drink water- that clear not-so-flavorful stuff that is good for you. If you are thirsty and you drink water, it quenches your thirst, at least for a little while. But how exactly do we draw from God's well of salvation, or drink a "living water" from Jesus that will allow us to never get thirsty again? Such thirst-quenching fulfilling water that we will have streams of water flowing from within us?! If ever I've felt confused about this, it is comforting to know, I am not alone...
In John 4 Jesus meets a Samaritan woman who was at a well- she needed to draw water from the well. Jesus has a great conversation with her- you can read the whole story here. She is somewhat confused and asks Jesus, "where can you get this living water?" (what a great question, Samaritan woman!!) Jesus says to the woman in John 4:13-15, "Everyone who drinks this water (that is, from the water well the woman was at) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I 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 won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

The truth is, we will need to continually supply our bodies with water, good old H₂O, in order to live. We will always want to jump in the refreshing pool when the sun beats down on a hot summer day. But this living water... if we accept Jesus Christ, believing that he is our salvation, our rock, our light in darkness, our provider and our portion- we believe that he will completely fulfill us- he is our living water. If we know these things, we will not need to continually search for other "water" that will fulfill us, protect us, provide for us and save us. If we do try to search for something or someone else to fill us, (or "quench that thirst"), we will just continue to be "thirsty" because no other person or thing will provide all of that for us-- only Jesus Christ can! And what a refreshing thing, to not be "thirsty" again, to be filled with living water that becomes a spring welling up!

posted by: Tara