Let's Keep Drinking of His Well!

Today, in my reading, I came across the story of the woman at the well. In this passage, Jesus was travelling, got thirsty, and asked a woman for a drink of her water. When the woman refused, Jesus told her (we do not know her name) that He could give her living water, if only she would ask.

The LORD goes on to say that this living water would eliminate her thirst forever. Wow, what a claim!

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water ... 

But whoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst again: but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting water.

John 4:10, 14

But what kind of thirst was Jesus talking about? We know it's wasn't physical thirst, but what other kind of thirst is there?  According to Strong's Concordance, the word "to thirst" can also mean to "desire earnestly." It's a longing, an intense want. 

As humans, we thirst for so many different things! The list is endless, and so individual for each person. We may thirst for success, for love, for stability. We may long for a new house, children, a better job. And sometimes it is more frivolous: our favourite food, a new couch, or a tropical vacation.

Are these desires wrong? Do we stop longing (thirsting) because we know Jesus? I don't think so! God says he will give us the desires of our heart:

Delight thyself also in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of they heart.

Psalm 37:4

The Vincent's Words commentary helped me to understand this passage better. The writer points out that we don't stop wanting things, but rather that we begin to want things that can satisfy us, rather than things that will frustrate us. 

Instead of random sex, we seek committed lovemaking. Instead of driven shopping, we seek deliberate purchases. Instead of ruthless wins, we seek fair play. We will always have desires, but the LORD of heaven and earth promises to satisfy the desires of our hearts, with "a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

And most of all, we thirst for him, our LORD. Knowing him satisfies most of all, if we take time to really know him, and let him know us. 

Let's keep drinking of his well, so that he can purify our desires more and more. And let him fill us up to overflowing!

And talk to me ... how have your desires changed since coming to know Jesus? And if you don't know Him, would you like to? 

Do You Believe Today?

One of the first memories I have is as a toddler, from the back of the church, through a nursery window. I grew up in the bosom of the First Baptist church, and accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour when I was six years old. I definitely do identify as a believer in Jesus Christ. 

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 3:36

But I am also beginning to realize how many times I am not a believer. There are many moments when I don't really believe that:

• Jesus is enough to get me through the day
• I am loved with an everlasting love
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
• The joy of the LORD is my strength

I see how easy for my heart to quietly slip into a state of unbelief and a state of uneasiness. And in these quiet moments, my heart actually forgets that I have God himself living inside my heart, working out his good and perfect will.

In order to really believe day by day, we need to fight for it. We need to renew our minds, and constantly remind ourselves that he has saved us.

Believing in the LORD Jesus Christ means being saved from the eternal consequences of sin, but it also means being saved from our own dark thoughts, our haunting fears and our sense of helplessness.

But be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Romans 12:2

Who is your enemy?

As I was talking to a friend today, she said to me, "we need to not react whenever people say things to us that we don't like. We have to love them no matter what." 

And her words hit me deeply, because I had done just the opposite the day before. A misunderstanding, an offense, and my day was thrown off, words were said not fit for the kingdom of God. 

Jesus said:

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.

Luke 6:27

I think sometimes, as good Christians, we don't believe that we have any enemies. But what if our enemies are just enemies of the moment, like the husband who is unreasonably angry, or the teenager who refuses to show respect? 

What if our enemy is the coworker who always talks about us behind our back, or the boss who does not understand that sometimes we get sick and need a day off? 

I know it is easy for me to be unloving to someone who has hurt me. How justified I can be in seeing the wrong that has been done to me. But is not this person, at the time, my enemy? Can not even my husband be "the enemy" when we are in the midst of a terrible disagreement? 

My friend's words hit hard: we are to show love to everyone, even our "enemies of the moment." She was spot on, and her casual comment pierced my heart. How difficult the words of Jesus to practice, but how peaceful the result if we do! Amen.