I was parched. The kind of thirst that makes your mouth feel like cotton or, worse, sandpaper. Every thought was focused on a straightforward need: water.
Maybe you’ve been there—after a long walk in the sun, after an exhausting workout, or after waking up in the middle of the night, desperate for a drink. There’s nothing quite like cool water when you need it most.
But what about the thirst that water can’t quench? The deep, soul-level longing for something more? I remember describing that feeling to someone like I was on the cusp of something I could not quite grasp. And I thirsted to know more!
In John 4, Jesus met a woman who knew this kind of thirst well. She came to the well at noon when no one else was around, possibly avoiding the whispers and stares of her neighbors. Perhaps the woman (unnamed) was weary—not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Day after day, drawing water from the same well, she just wasn’t satisfied.
Then Jesus spoke:
“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 NLT)
The woman had been coming to the well for water, but Jesus offered her something infinitely greater: Living Water—the kind that doesn’t run dry.
A Thirst As Old As Time
Jesus’ words were not new; they fulfilled an ancient promise. Throughout Scripture, God had revealed Himself as the trustworthy source of life-giving water.
When the Israelites wandered the wilderness, parched and desperate, God told Moses to strike a rock, and water flowed out to satisfy them (Exodus 17:1-7). Later, Paul would explain that
“…all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4 NLT).
The people of Israel had a history of seeking satisfaction in all the wrong places. Through Jeremiah, God lamented,
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!” (Jeremiah 2:13 NLT).
They had turned away from the One True God and, in exchange, had run after worthless idols.
We are not different. So many heart idols capture our attention—productivity, success, entertainment, financial successes, relationships—only to find our wells cracked and empty.
The River That Brings Life
But the story doesn’t end there. In Ezekiel 47, the prophet sees a vision of a river flowing from the temple of God. It starts as a trickle, but as it flows, it grows deeper and more substantial. Ezekiel writes, “Life will flourish wherever this water flows.”
Fast forward to John 7:37-39, where Jesus stands in the temple courts and cries out:
“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
Jesus wasn’t just offering refreshment—He was offering transformation. He was the true temple from which the river of life flows (John 2:19-21), and He was promising the Holy Spirit, who would fill and sustain those who believed in Him.
This promise reaches its fulfillment in the new creation. Revelation 7:16-17 describes those who belong to Christ, saying:
“They will never again be hungry or thirsty;… For the Lamb on the throne
will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
And at the very end of Scripture, the invitation is given one last time:
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. (Revelation 22:17 NLT)
Where Are You Drawing Your Water?
The Samaritan woman came to the well that day looking for water. But she left having encountered the Messiah. She left her water jar behind and ran to tell others about the One who had changed her life (John 4:28-29).
That begs the question–Where are we drawing our water? Are we encountering Jesus?
As I study today and prayerfully consider the lesson, I ask myself, with what am I trying to satisfy my soul? What heart idol am I choosing over the Living Water today?
Jesus was masterful at invitations. Today, He invites us all to come and drink deeply, to be refreshed, made whole, and filled to overflowing.
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