Two waters - both matter!
Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections from His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verses are John 4:10-14, where the Bible recounts Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Water is essential for life. Would you agree? Well, it is. What follows comes from an article titled, “Why Is Water so Essential for Life?” by Tia Ghose:
Water. It's found everywhere on Earth, from the polar ice caps to steamy geysers. And wherever water flows on this planet, you can be sure to find life. “When we find water here on Earth — whether it be ice-covered lakes, whether it be deep-sea hydrothermal vents, whether it be arid deserts — if there's any water, we've found microbes that have found a way to make a living there,” said Brian Glazer, an oceanographer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who has studied astrobiology. That's why NASA's motto in the hunt for extraterrestrial life has been “follow the water.”
Now I’m pretty sure that NASA’s motto about supposed extraterrestrial life may be suspect, but their estimation of the importance of water couldn’t be more accurate. We might say it this way, “When it comes to the most important things in life, follow the water!” For life in this world, water is essential. You can live many days without food, but you won’t survive long without water. Water hydrates, water cleans, water lubricates, and water empowers. Our physical life depends on water. That’s why it’s important to value the temporal blessings of water.
But there’s more. Our Savior Jesus, the living Word of God who created water and its temporal blessings (John 1:1-3, 14), tells us that there is another water that matters even more. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit, the living water that gives eternal life to those who believe (John 7:39). It’s the water that only He can give and that Holy Spirit then delivers to us the things of Christ (John 16:14), the “water” of His Word for eternal life, the “washing in His Name (the gift of Baptism), that washes away our sins (see John 3:5; 7:37-39; Ephesians 5:26).
Yes, both temporal water and His living water matter in life. When people fight for “clean water” for people around the world, that’s very good. While both waters should be valued and used abundantly, Jesus reminds us that one water matters for life now and forever; that’s the water of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives through His Spirit-filled Word. Whatever you might be facing today, make sure that you are physically prepared for whatever comes your way. One aspect of that is properly using temporal water to sustain your physical life. But, even more importantly, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through God’s Holy Word and Sacraments, drink deeply from the eternal life-giving waters of grace in Christ in order to prepare yourself spiritually for the challenges of each day. Read and trust His word, drink deeply of His water for eternal life. Bring your concerns to Him in prayer. Those blessings will never fail to quench your soul’s thirst, especially when you need them most.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for providing all we need for this life and for our life with You forever. AMEN.
