“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”
- John 4:13-14 NIV
As an old dog, there’s one thing that I still know well… water.
I know the sound of a creek before I see it.
I know the smell of a pond from fifty yards away.
I know the joy of splashing through a shallow stream on a hot summer day.
And when my human grabs a towel and a leash, and says, “Want to go swimming?”— I’m halfway to the car before he finishes the sentence.
The other day we went down to the river.
I charged in like a young pup, sending water flying everywhere.
I swam, chased sticks, and cooled off from the summer heat.
It was glorious.
As my human sat on the bank drying off, he opened his Bible and read about Jesus being the Living Water.
I cocked my head and listened.
The Word got this old dog thinking.
I’d swallowed enough river water to float a canoe, but it didn’t last.
Something happened before we even started heading home, I was thirsty again.
My tongue was hanging out, and I was looking for my mini-travel water bowl before we even got back to the car.
You see, everything in this world is a little like that river.
It refreshes us for a moment.
A vacation, a new purchase, a promotion, a hobby, even a good day with family and friends.
They help us for a while.
But sooner or later, we get thirsty again.
Our hearts were made for something more.
Jesus told the woman at the well that He could give water that would satisfy forever.
Not water for a dry throat, but grace for a weary soul.
Hope for a troubled heart.
Peace for a restless spirit.
Every day, I chase things.
Squirrels.
Tennis balls.
And sometimes even my own tail.
For a few moments, those things seem important.
But the excitement never lasts.
Soon I’m looking for the next thing.
My human isn’t all that different.
Sometimes he chases success.
Sometimes approval.
Sometimes things he thinks will make him happy.
Yet none of them truly satisfy the thirst deep inside his heart.
Only Jesus can do that.
The problem is that many people are drinking from puddles when a spring is standing right beside them.
The good news is that Jesus still says, “Come and drink.”
And unlike that river, His supply never runs dry… nor leaves us thirsty.
As we headed home, I rode in the backseat with wet fur and a happy heart.
I learned that just because you’re surrounded by water doesn’t mean your thirst is satisfied.
And just because you’re surrounded by activity doesn’t mean your soul is full.
Only Jesus can fill the deepest thirst we have.
Only Jesus.
So today, if your soul feels parched from worry, disappointment, or just the heat of life, don’t settle for another temporary drink.
Run to the One who is the Living Water.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
