“…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”– John 4:14
REFERENCE:
In the business world, there is residual income; the money continues to flow after an initial investment of time and resources, e.g., dividends, rent, or royalties. That is a gift that keeps giving. Jesus told the woman at the well of Sychar that whatever benefit she got from the well’s water would be short-lived, and she would come again.
The water of Jacob’s well symbolizes the good things of this world – things that perish with the use, while the water Jesus promised the woman is one with a different composition; it gives lasting satisfaction. The well’s water pacifies for a season – the love of a man, money, food, a job, clothes, friends, etc. We hope to find a sense of self-worth in them, but the more we drink of Jacob’s well, the hungrier we are for the transient ‘high’ we derive from it like a drug junkie.
Jesus promised the woman another kind of water that, when drunk, turns into a fountain that springs up abundant life. Take a sip, and you will not need to fetch it again. The woman was intrigued; she earnestly asked to be given such water. This water is the Holy Spirit – the Father’s Gift that keeps giving other gifts like a gushing fountain. He turns your heart into a fountain that springs up eternal life from within. True satisfaction comes from the Spirit, not things around.
Wells are seasonal, and springs are perpetual. The joy of the Spirit in you will outlive any temporal joy derived from things. The Holy Spirit gives us unspeakable joy, discernment, peace, capacity to love, creativity, self-discipline, and a healthy sense of self-worth. He is one Gift that keeps giving – the gifts of the Spirit, ministry gifts, and the fruit of the Spirit. What more do you need?
The woman asks, “Give me this water that I will thirst no more, nor have need to come to this well again.” You should desire this ‘living water,’ this Gift that keeps giving. The presence of the Spirit will keep you from addiction to drugs, illicit sex, seeking men’s validation, anxiety, fear, or loneliness. I pray that your thirst for the Gift of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives will drive you to a place of earnest desire and a decision to refuse the alternatives that the world gives.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Isaiah 55:1-2, John 7:37-38 & Revelations 22:17
PRAYER:
+ Father, I ask that You enable me to lose my appetite for things of this world that attempt to take Your place in my life.
+ Help me to set my priorities right, to separate wants from what I need. I need the Gift of the Holy Spirit – for guidance, instructions, comfort, rest, restoration, illumination, etc.
+ Jesus, baptize me afresh with Your Holy Spirit. I open my heart and receive, in Jesus’ name.
