Living Water
A Cheez-It box? This should be interesting! Stay with me.
In the Bible book of John, in the 4th chapter, there is this really special story where Jesus is stepping across all kinds of walls and barriers that we people like to use to keep ourselves divided away from one another. Jesus, a Jew, ended up sitting down by a well. He was tired. Yep. Jesus was tired. I kind of like knowing that detail. And He was thirsty. I kind of like knowing that too. I understand being tired and thirsty. And Jesus does too. His divine nature did not keep Him from feeling and experiencing things that are common to us humans. Jesus gets us. I like that. So back to Jesus destroying divisions.
Jesus the Jew, asked a Samaritan woman for a drink from a well because He was thirsty. Ethnic barrier crossed! Gender barrier crossed! Jesus shows us the way. JUST BE WITH EACH OTHER AS FELLOW PILGRIMS ON THIS JOURNEY. Jesus offers this thirsty woman, not water to drink, but real life to live! He offers her, and us, living water. He offers her, and us, HIMSELF. Jesus is living water.
I love the words that this story uses. "Everyone who drinks this (normal) water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water (living water) I give him will never thirst." Oh my. Never thirst. Jesus is that good. He quenches our heart thirst like nothing else.
But here is what is real. Even with that kind of offer on the table from Jesus, I still choose Cheez-Its. You and I seek so many other things to fill our pained hearts along our journey. Food (see picture above), sex, money, comfort, anonymity and the list grows from there. Lea (my wife) and I have recently been seeking to steward our bodies in a more healthy way, paying attention to what we eat and exercising regularly. The last four months have been life changing in the realm of better health. But on Saturday night I found that I had literally crammed my mouth full of Cheez-Its, not the healthiest of options. I am not judging any of the Cheez-It eaters in this audience, but as I noticed my past with food creeping into the present on Saturday night, I was sad. I have used food to try to comfort my aching heart throughout my years. Our hearts need Jesus. Living this life is really hard and challenging at times and filling up on other things besides Jesus is a real option as we navigate heart living from day to day.
So how do I drink this living water of Jesus? The bible book of Isaiah in the first part of the Bible gives some helpful ideas. Chapter 12 in the first 6 verses tell us these things. Jesus is our salvation! Ask Him to be that for you! And then we get these 6 things that can help us to practice drinking the living water of Jesus.
1. Be grateful
2. Call on the name of the Lord (literally out loud!)
3. Tell the world what He has done.
4. Talk about His name....Jesus.
5. Sing
6. Cry out to God and sing loud.
I am suggesting this. Pick one of these six things and just try it. Practice it. I know it seems weird to think about it. Maybe even weirder to actually do it. DO IT. Sometime today, practice one these things. Let's practice drinking the Living Water of Jesus. Cheez-Its taste pretty good, but they don't last. Jesus will.
There's more.