“But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14)
Have you ever been just plain thirsty? Not hungry for any kind of food, but just plain thirsty? Mouth and throat dry? Feeling weak and faint? Desperate for just a drop of water? There is only one way to quench that kind of thirst, and that is to get something to drink. Here in America, and in many other parts of the world, we are very fortunate to have quick and easy access to water. It takes no effort for most people to find or buy water and in seconds, the dryness we felt moments ago is gone, the thirst our body felt is quenched.
What is it that keeps our souls thirsty? Why are we never able to quench our dry and weary souls? I believe it is because we are always trying to drown it in the wrong thing. We thirst for attention and affection so we turn to unhealthy relationships with other people who are just as dry and thirsty. We thirst for human affirmation and acceptance so we turn to overworking ourselves for approval. We thirst for promotions and more money so we turn to tactics and working hard in our own strength to beat the next person. We thirst to escape from pain and suffering so we turn to food, drugs, alcohol or, men and women. We thirst to be loved so we turn to sex. We turn to any and everything under the sun to quench this never ending thirst, except for the One who will drench every part of our dryness.
I had to ask myself, “Why am I always thirsty for you Lord? If the water you give will cause me to never be thirsty again then why do I continue to thirst? Am I really thirsty or am I longing for more?” It really made me think that I was still chasing the wrong god, or not doing my part, if I even had a part, or that something was wrong with me. Well, I looked a little deeper and this is what I found out…
What is this kind of thirsty that Jesus is talking about to this Samaritan woman? The Greek word is “dipsaō” which means, “to suffer from thirst; those who painfully feel from thirsting, a lack of water" (Blue Letter Bible)
In that moment, it occurred to me that there is a difference in longing for more of Christ and suffering for more of Christ. Those who do not know Jesus as their Savior certainly suffer the painful thought of having to spend an eternity in the absence of their Father! That is not the thirst I was feeling. I am beyond grateful that I am His and He is mine! I have confessed and believed that Jesus is the Son of God and by His grace I am saved! No, I wasn’t painfully thirsty, I was longing for Jesus. I constantly want more and more and more of Him! The more He reveals Himself to me the more I want to see of Him!
As a Christian, I believe we can rightfully long for more of Jesus. If we stopped longing for Him, we would become stagnant and never grow beyond the point we are at. I googled “long for” and the idioms.thefreedictionary.com said, “to desire greatly or yearn for something, especially something that is difficult or impossible to obtain.” It is a verb.
Oh my heart went soaring! I can actively long for, yearn for something because it has so satisfied me. Think about it! When you feel dehydrated and really need water, you take that first drink, and then what happens? You drink more! Jesus so quenches our thirst, that the moment we take a drink from Him, we absolutely want more of what He has! Not because we are suffering anymore, as we would drinking from all of our man-made wells, but because the Living Water He gives us is so satisfying and so good, we long for so much more!
When the Samaritan woman asked Jesus why He was asking her for a drink (v. 9), that opened the door for Him to share with her who He really was and to offer her thirsty soul the LIVING WATER! As practical as she was in trying to figure out how Jesus was going to get any water without a rope or bucket (v. 11), she knew her soul was desperately dry and without further explanation she pleaded, “Please sir, give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water!” (v. 15) She wouldn't have to return to the man-made wells in her life anymore for water, she could return to Jesus over and over for the satisfying LIVING WATER He gives!
Are you thirsty or do you just long for more? Jesus is ready and waiting to quench your every thirst.
Glorious LORD! Thank you for the Living Water you give! Thank you that I don’t have to return to man-made wells, but that I can return to your spring of living water that flows so generously to quench this dry and weary soul! Thank you for being the very life that sustains me! AMEN!
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