Water for the thirsty...

A couple of weekends ago, I was involved in a missions conference.  It was one of those weekends that was gruelingly long with little time to rest in between.  We had scheduled meetings throughout the day,  Friday afternoon, through Sunday night.  However, at the pace we had been going, I was getting sick and there was no time to think about pulling back and recuperating.  I began taking cold medication for head congestion but it didn't seem to be helping a lot.

Saturday was a day of planned festivities.  There was music, and cultural dances, plays and skits and food from other countries.  A lot of people were in their native dress and the colors and decorations of the different countries involved brought about a lot of excitement.

My husband and I were responsible for a booth and we also had to find ways to entertain the young people.  I couldn't imagine that I could entertain anyone in my present condition.  My husband, however, did come up with a game that he had played with  young people before and it could entertain for hours.  He really didn't have to do anything but explain it and find some teens to help him with it... I went in search of some water.

I spotted a booth that was serving snacks, and water.  Approaching the booth, I could see a barrel of bottled water behind the lady at the counter.  "Could I have a bottle of water, please," I asked the lady.  "I'm not feeling well and I need to take some medication."  "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't think I can give you any water.  I don't know how  many bottles I have and I don't know how many I will need.  We will be giving them out with lunch later."  She could see I was disappointed and offered to give me money for a drink machine somewhere.  But, I just thanked her and said that it was okay...  However, as I walked away, I thought of the scripture in Mark 9:41, where Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My Name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."

I found water.... if you are thirsty enough, you will keep searching until you find it.  I took my medication, and went back to my booth.  Later, I saw the lady again... It seemed as though she had been looking for me.  "I am so embarrassed," she said.  "I should have given you water.  I asked someone else and they said, "of course, it would have been fine."  I told her not to worry about it... I had found some water.

We cannot survive with water.  It quenches our thirst.  It cleanses us... It helps us get our medication down.  It soothes a dry throat.  When we start thinking about water... nothing else will satisfy us.  Jesus knew how important it was to give someone a cup of cold water.  At times, our very lives depend on it.  But more importantly, He knows our need for the living water.  Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water.

"The Samaritan woman said to Him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.  How can You ask me for a drink?''(For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

"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 flocks and herds?"

"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

                             John 4:9:14

By Sunday evening of the conference, I found that I had been drinking of the living water that Jesus had spoken about.  God worked in my heart and gave me a hunger and thirst to want to be near Him.  Though, it was an exhausting weekend physically... God had done something in my heart... 

The woman at the well said to Jesus, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."(John 4:15)

She found the found the living water that Jesus was talking about and told all of the people in town and brought them to Jesus.... They drank of the living water...

"Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.  He told me everything I did.  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of His words many more became believers."

"They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

                 John 4:39-42

Have you had a taste of the living water?  There is nothing like it!!