A Joyful Thought - Water for More Than Drinking
Updated: Feb 1, 2019
“If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
John 4:10
John chapter 4 opens with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
After a long day of travel, Jesus came to Jacobs well to sit and rest. And while He rested at this well, a woman came to gather water. He asked her for a drink.
Now culturally, under no circumstance was Jesus - a Jew - supposed to converse with this woman - a Samaritan. The Scriptures makes this clear in verse 8 when the woman asks,
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritan.)” John 4:9
However, this did not stop Jesus. He goes on to explain that if she had known who it was that asked for a drink, she would have asked Him and He would have given her living water (John 4:10).
This statement of Jesus' confused the woman because Jesus has no bucket or tool to draw water, and Jacob's well is very deep. Jesus goes on to explain that this well-water will only make her thirsty again after she drinks it. The water she really needs is the water welling up to eternal life - the water only He can give her.
This is where I see myself in the woman’s shoes. She, naturally, then asks Jesus for this water so that she won’t have to come to the well again.
Did you catch that?
Literally everything Jesus previously said to her went right over her head! She simply never wanted to thirst again, so that she might not have to come to the well anymore.
If I were to be in the same situation as the woman, I imagine I probably would have responded the same way.
How wonderful it would be to never again thirst! But Jesus had more to give than a pail of water.
This woman had no idea who she was talking to. Later in the chapter, she asked if Jesus was a prophet! Lady, this is the SON OF GOD!!
Now, Jesus - being the gentleman that He is - spelled it out for her. Verse 22-23 Jesus says,
“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in truth and spirit, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.”
The woman, still behind (I relate), responds with the little bit of knowledge that she does know: the Messiah is coming back, and when He does, He will tell her and all the people everything they need to know (John 4:25).
“I who speak to you am He.” John 4:26
Boom! Mic drop! Light bulb!
I mean really!? We are 26 verses into the story before this woman gets it!
However, I cannot fault her. Sometimes, I feel the same way in my own life. I coast and go about my business, but I am completely blind to the fact that Jesus is right in front of me with everything I could ever want and need. I get down and out, and bad days come, so I pout and wallow in self pity for a bit.
Why don’t I just pick up my Bible and start talking to Jesus? I get so thirsty and attempt to quench it with all sorts of things, but Jesus is the only one able to quench my thirst.
That void we try to fill isn’t even ours! It’s God’s! We belong to Him! So why would we ever try to do this life without Him?
I fear that we trust in Jesus just enough to receive salvation, and like this woman, we coast by ourselves because we know He is coming back again. But because He isn’t here now, we convince ourselves that we just gotta handle it till He does come back.
No! The Holy Spirit is here, sitting with us even while we try to quench our thirst with everything but Him. He is right in front of us, waiting for us to ask Him for water. Isn’t that such a blessing!?
We have an almighty God offering us the gift of water that is for more than drinking. It is for eternal life! Take a gulp today!
Author: Joy Grace Webb
Learn more about Joy Grace Webb
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
