I love water, don’t you? I am drawn to it. Not just as a source of sustenance, but to the emotional experience as well. Take for instance the serene sound of it lapping on a sandy beach. The wild roar of a waterfall. The mesmerizing motion of floating atop it. Or the simple sensation of soaking in a hot bath.

Practically speaking, our body weight is approximately 60 percent water. Used to regulate temperature and maintain bodily functions, we are bound by the human condition that requires it for survival. In its absence, our bodies will stop working and our cells, tissues, and organs will shut down.

In the physical realm, water is a limited resource. But the kind of water Jesus is referring to in John 4 doesn’t come from a physical well, but an eternal well. He calls it living water. It is spiritual in nature and offers to satisfy deep needs within the soul of man and woman. Needs for wisdom, power, peace and security.

This living water comes by way of the Holy Spirit and will never run dry. It’s there for the taking. Our responsibility is to taste and see the goodness of God (Psalm 34:8). To yield to His will and allow Him to  satisfy the deepest needs we have. The cravings that all too often drive us to seek lesser gods.

John 4 is a great example of this tension between flesh and spirit. It is an account that involves a Samaritan woman who came to draw water from Jacob’s well only to be confronted by a different source of water, Jesus himself. 

Wearied from his journey and sitting beside the well, Jesus challenges her to consider the source of her sustenance. The tenor quickly turns as we learn that she sought fulfillment by indulging with many husbands.

When we encounter Christ we are called to consider which source we seek—Him or another. Moreover, which source we will yield to. It is in this precarious place of confrontation where opportunity and insecurity collide. Where we are challenged to either stand down or lean into what we believe. 

Philippians 2:16 encourages us to consider the source by holding firmly to the Word of life. By doing so, you will find Jesus, the only source that truly and completely satisfies.

Some of my biggest struggles happen when I seek to control circumstances that are not within my realm to control. I drink this water in vain until I remember my true source. Only then does relief and satisfaction come. 

Take some time this week to do a little soul-searching. Are you relying on something or someone other than Christ to satisfy your deepest needs? What sources of satisfaction do you pursue that leave you more thirsty than before?

Big Hug to you for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and be satisfied by the true source of living water.