Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” [John 4:13-14 (NLT)]
For a state that receives over 55-inches of rain a year, the words “Florida drought” seem an oxymoron. Nevertheless, southwest Florida is in moderate drought and the water in the swamp is receding at record pace. The dry down of the swamp concentrates fish into the shallow water that remains and they become easy prey for the wading birds. There is a feeding frenzy as hundreds of birds (and several alligators) gather to enjoy a virtual buffet table lined with fish, frogs, and crayfish. The water in the swamp sustains these beautiful birds and, when it evaporates, they will fly elsewhere. I watched in awe as the birds vied for spots in the diminishing lakes and thought about the importance of water.
About 60% of the human body is made up of water and every living cell needs it to function. It lubricates joints, regulates temperature, flushes waste, and carries nutrients through the body. We can last three weeks without food but we can last only three to five days without water (and as little as three to four hours in extreme heat). Once deprived of water, the cells and organs of the body start to deteriorate. Water in our bodies is the difference between life and death.
Jesus offers us living water and His water truly is the difference between life and death. The water in the swamp is not living water – with no springs, it’s really just a large cistern that collects rain and will eventually evaporate. When the water is gone, only some vultures eating the scraps will remain. The living water offered by Jesus is never-ending; it is poured out in all seasons and will never disappear. Unlike the birds, we don’t have to fight for our spot in the pond or, like the Samaritan woman, come to the well. All we have to do is ask for the living water of eternal life. One drink of His Holy Spirit and we’ll never thirst again.
I find it ironic that some of the last words spoken by the man who offered living water were, “I am thirsty.” [John 19:28] Dehydrated by the torture He’d endured, was it just His dry mouth that led to those words? Did He thirst for the end of His pain and suffering? Or did He make a final demonstration of His humanity by speaking words that showed how much he thirsted for fellowship with God? Let us gather at His table, drink deep of His love, wash in His forgiveness, and never thirst again.
I’ve been reading a book about discovering one’s “authentic” self; among other things, the author concluded that her authentic self wears make-up. I admit to wearing make-up, coloring my hair, wearing a padded bra and using Spanx, but I’d never call that my authentic self! Without a doubt, that’s my more attractive self, but hardly the authentic one! While I don’t consider it “authentic,” trying to appear as attractive as possible isn’t hypocritical. Pretending to be one person in public and actually being another one in private is!
While in my early thirties, in an attempt to straighten my teeth and correct an overbite, I wore braces for four years—and even had to wear the dreaded head-gear at night! For some reason, as the years dragged on, I seemed to think that everything I didn’t like about myself and my body would be miraculously corrected once the braces were removed. I imagined that, with straight teeth, I could possibly bear some resemblance to Cheryl Tiegs, a super-model of the era. Needless to say, I was disappointed when the braces were finally removed and I still looked just like me—only with nicer teeth. Not that looking like me was so bad, but I certainly wasn’t going to be asked to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue! The fact that I didn’t want to do so made no difference; I just wanted everything I didn’t like about myself to miraculously change. It took some much needed maturing, both spiritually and emotionally, to understand that my discontent had nothing to do with my appearance and that real change doesn’t come from the outside; it comes from within.
I have a young friend who’s quite a sports fan. Not only can he spout statistics for his favorite baseball and football players, he can recite the biographies of the top American Ninja Warriors as well. He knows about several athletes and yet none of them know anything about him or would recognize him on the street. I don’t know which team he favored for last Sunday’s Super Bowl but I’m sure he knew who led in kicking and punting or kick and punt returns. Enthusiastic fans do more than know the stats—they often wear team jerseys and may even paint their faces. The prevalence of blue and red shirts on Sunday made it clear the fans at our church favored the Patriots. Considering all the whooping, hollering, high fives and fist bumps that occurred later that day while watching the Super Bowl, you’d think the fans were the ones scoring the points. Using the pronoun “we” for their favored team, they moaned about calls, trash talked the opposition and analyzed plays as if they were on the field. Although fans can dress like their favorite team member, know the stats for the players, and watch every game, they’re not on a first name basis with any of the team. Neither friends nor acquaintances, they’re just fans.
Carrying posters, displaying bumper stickers, wearing t-shirts, or hash tagging with the words, “He’s not my president!” changes absolutely nothing. After today, he is. How we voted, who got the popular vote, whether we’re happy or outraged, whether we have faith in him or not makes no difference. This is what we have for the next four years.
