Living Water
Last Sunday was one of those days I wish I could wrap up and put in a special container to be opened on a cold winter day in January or a scorching day in August when the temperature hovers in the mid-nineties. It was a day of open windows and refreshing breezes blowing through the rooms of our home.
I was going to join my husband in the living room that afternoon, but I stepped outdoors for a minute and just couldn’t bear to waste the day sitting inside. I grabbed a deck chair, my Bible and Bible study book, and the novel I wanted to begin and headed for the front porch. I worked on the Bible study and then sat back for a minute before I opened my book. The scene playing out in front of me was so lovely I never did open the book. I just leaned back and tried to soak it all in.
The sky was a brilliant blue – not a cloud in sight. There was a gentle breeze moving through the branches of the trees. There were little yellow butterflies flitting across the yard – looping their way to unknown places. It was so quiet, and then I heard the birds begin singing.
I began thinking about how dry everything here is. We are in what the weather people are calling an extreme drought. We haven’t had a good rain in weeks. Just below the surface of all the beauty and tranquility is a dry condition that threatens it all. If we don’t get rain soon, everything will begin to die.
It is a picture of the way my life can become when I am spiritually dry. Everything looks wonderful on the outside. I say the right things, do what is expected, and generally go along just fine. To look at my life no one would suspect that there is something very wrong under the surface; that my spirit is dying for lack of Living Water.
When I wander away from the Lord; when I don’t spend time with Him in prayer and in the Word, there begins to be a dryness deep within my soul. The only thing that can bring refreshing new life is a drink from the well of Living Water. Just as the grass in our front yard responds immediately to the refreshing rains when they fall, so my spirit responds when I allow Jesus to pour Himself into my parched soul.
When the Lord sends us the rain that we need, the affects are seen almost immediately. Overnight the grass gets greener, the trees look fresher and new growth begins. So it is with my spirit. When I allow Him to refresh me with the water that only He can give, the results are amazing. My thirst is quenched and my spirit renewed. There is new life. Unlike the grass and other things outdoors that must wait for the rains to come, I have that water available to me every moment of my life. I have only to drink.
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season. And its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does he prospers.” Psalm 1: 2,3 (NAS)
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4: 13,14 (NAS)
It is so true – sometimes we don’t noticed that our soul is parched from neglecting to spend time with Him on a regular basis. Not only is His Word refreshing, but also gets us ready for the battle we are in daily.
Thank you for sharing from your heart, my friend.
You’re so right! The effects are seen almost immediately when I allow Him to refresh me. I’ve found that the opposite is true at times, too… The effects of a drought aren’t always seen immediately, but then I can find myself practically in a spiritual desert because I’ve cut off that refreshing Water in different ways over a period of time. His grace is so great. He is so good to cause us to only be satisfied in Him, so that we keep coming back.
Thank you for this post!
Our state of Georgia is in a serious drought, too, but so has my heart. I opened up the Psalms this morning and it was like I couldn’t soak His Word in fast enough. I think our times in the Word are needed much more than we realize. It’s not just to get a good start on our day, but continuously meeting with HIM to stay connected, letting His Living Water flow through our hearts and renew us day by day.
thank for an excellent post today!
love,
Vicki
That was beautifully said….
and I am in a place now that the only way to quinch that thirst is through His Living Water…
thank you for your wonderful post today.. you really touched my drought-stricken soul
Connie
Another beautiful analogy. I can so relate! And when God waters the yard or our hearts, He does so much better than we do with hoses!
Beautiful, thank you.
Hi Linda,
Wow, we had one of those perfect days here on Wednesday. Awesome
Thank you for a great message!
Lovely post Linda, beautifully written, I can just picture it all in my mind.
Amen, so many times things look good on the outside and put together but on the inside you could be dying. Thank you for such a wonderful reminder of His Living Water.
Proverbs 3:5-6 has been speaking to my heart for quite awhile.
I related to your analogy between the drought of the land and the need for the Living Water. There have been many times that I was
dry and after spending time in His Word, became so refreshed. It is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you!
Wow! What an amazing illustration of how we are to thirst after God in all that we do. This was such a blessing to read and a great reminder that the time we spend with God is so very important.
Mylah
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