Wednesday, April 11, 2012

I Need a Refill

One of the biggest problems that I have with my soccer teams is cramping up on the field. My first question to them is always, "How much water have you drank today?" I always begin the season reminding my athletes of the importance of keeping well hydrated. It prevents cramps, dehydration, and helps them to play better and not be as tired. I tell them that every time they go by a water fountain, to take a sip. I also tell them to lay off the sodas and energy drinks, as they produce the opposite effect. They can cause you to cramp easier, dehydrate sooner, and tend to lessen the amount of energy available during a match. Once I get them off the field, they go straight to the water cooler. This reminds me of a story in the New Testament about the importance of water.

John 4:7-14

"There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”"

In this set of verses, Jesus talks about a water that He could provide that is much different than the water we rely on for life. You see, water that we drink physically is a necessity. The average human being could not survive much more than two days without water. Our bodies depend on it for survival. Therefore, we always have this thirst. This need to rehydrate our bodies. It is an instinctive response to ensure our survival. The water that Christ is referring to is a living water that only He could provide.

I believe that Christ here is making reference to the Holy Spirit. Once we become saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. It helps us, and guides us. It provides us comfort when we need it. And unlike the constant need for water, the Holy Spirit never diminishes. It does not have to be refilled. How about that for eternal security! Once we truly are filled with this water, we will never thirst again. With this new water comes a new "thirst" however. One that gets a taste of the living water desires to know more about it. We can never seem to get enough of the Word of God. We have a desire to study and find what God has planned for us, and how we can serve Him better. We also have a desire to let others know about this water. We have a desire for others that we know to be able to drink from this water also.

John 4:27-30

"At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” They went out of the city, and were coming to Him."

John 4:39-42

"From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”"

So my question to you today is, "How much water have you had today?" Have you been drinking from the living waters that provide life everlasting? Or are you putting your faith in the world that will drag you down like the sodas do to my athletes that I spoke of above. If you read this and are relying on the world to satisfy, and the world to see you through, I invite you to come to the well.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!

4 comments:

  1. Praise God for His everlasting and satisfying salvation!

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  2. Incredible truth I found today, this Sabbath day, truly the Lord has given me manna from heaven, and spiritual drink from your posting, for me today! I just discovered your blog today...MUST BE A GOD THING! I truly enjoyed your topic ... YOU have a new follower:
    http://joybug56-denimlace.blogspot.com/ stop by sometime and say hello!

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    Replies
    1. God bless you sis, and I pray that God will continue to use this blog to encourage you.

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