Give Me Living Water

Returning to the Spring

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” — Revelation 21:6

How delightful it is to drink from a mountain spring. The water is often pure, clear, and cool. No wonder a good spring can be a primary selling point in a real estate transaction! From the book of Genesis, where the river flowed out from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10) to the book of Revelation (Revelation 21:6), God uses springs as a way to show that He gives and sustains life.

It is not surprising that the children of Israel grumbled when they were traveling through the wilderness and thirst overcame them. How relieved they must have been when the Lord told Moses to strike the rock and water came out! (See Exodus 17:1-7.) God was showing them His power over creation and His care for them.

In Psalm 1 and in Jeremiah 17, the person who trusts in the Lord or delights in His law is compared to a tree by a stream.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. — Jeremiah 17:8

When we seek the Lord, especially by opening and reading His Word, He provides us with living water. Jesus Himself offered it to the woman at the well, and she didn’t understand at first (John 4). We may smile at her confusion, but we’ve all had times when we found ourselves far from the Lord and needed to return to the water of life. Thankfully, the Lord welcomes us back again and again.

Lord, thank You for providing living water. May I drink deeply from it and know Your great love for me!

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Living Water

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of His work. — Psalm 104:10-13

Have you ever hiked alongside a mountain stream? The water gurgles and sings as it rushes along. It leaps and dances around boulders and under fallen logs. Vibrant moss carpets the rocks along the banks. Fish linger in shady pools under the overhanging branches. Birds nest in the trees near the water. In the early evening, animals come down to drink. The water is cold and fresh, and even in the tranquil pools, it is always, always moving.

In Jeremiah 2:13, the Lord declares, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Who would do that? Of course, we have all done it from time to time.

The good news is that God is gracious and forgiving.

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. — John 7:37-39

This is not stale, brackish water, stagnant and dead. He is the source of life itself, continually fresh and new. How exhilarating is our God!

O Lord, You are the source of all life. Thank You for offering Yourself to us. Please flow through me today. Refresh and replenish me, and refresh others through me!

Excerpted with permission from Devotions from the Mountains by Lisa Ham, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

Have you ever been sincerely dehydrated? Not just thirsty, but really in need of water? Water has an entirely different flavor when you’re desperate for it, doesn’t it? I drink a lot of water every day and if I happen to forget my water bottle and get really thirsty, my friend, you better get outta the way! It’s serious business. But, honestly, sometimes I forget to read the Bible. That thirst, if I’m not careful, isn’t so desperate. Sometimes I get “too busy” and then wonder why I’m so grouchy, stressed, or anxious later. We don’t need to go that thirsty spiritually since Jesus provides us living water every time we open the Word of God! And, we don’t even have to read it if we’re busy and on the go! We can enjoy listening to the YouVersion audio in the car or wherever we are! Come share your thoughts on the living water of God on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full