Being Thirsty

Full disclosure: Even I can’t make this stuff up! I heard that you can buy gluten free water. Water is just water folks. And yet people are falling for the advertising and hype of something other than reality. To me it seems that they are trying to fill that God-sized hole inside themselves with everything but God. That is why I write these posts, to show people that if God is all you have, that is all you need. (Based on John 14:8)

So I looked it up myself and found a site that sells gluten free water “designed to give you peace of mind throughout your day. Your lifestyle can’t be impeded by the unknown. You can rely on us to bring you the refreshing lifestyle-oriented water that your standards demand. Water so premium you’ll want it on your scotch shelf. Perfect for sharing among close lifestyle-oriented friends. Our specific water is guaranteed gluten-free” (well at least that is 100% fact!) It also states, “ The dreams of childhood are replaced by the realities of adulthood. We all turn to dust but how you get there is determined by lifestyle oriented choices.” See what I mean? Letting you know that this is the stuff that will put you in a class by yourself.

Brandon McFadden wrote s post on August 28, 2017 Gluten-free water shows absurdity of trend in labeling what’s absent. McFadden states, “You can now buy ‘premium’ water that’s not only free of GMOs and gluten but certified kosher and organic. Never mind that not a single drop of water anywhere contains either property or is altered in any way by those designations. Some labeling contains misleading claims that exploit a knowledge gap with consumers and take advantage of their willingness to pay a premium for so-called process labels.” Well said sir, well said.

In reality though, the only water that satisfy your deep down thirst is the Living Water.

The definition of thirst: 1) a feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a wish to drink: a bodily condition producing this; 2) an ardent desire: craving. (MW)

Jesus said, “Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.” Jesus offers us unlimited water.

Why do we get thirsty, and why is water important you ask? Well, I’m glad you did. Water is necessary for all living things. The adult human body is on average 60% water. According to H. H. Mitchell, in the Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.

Every day we must consume water to survive. We cannot survive more than a few days without water. Some of our water is obtained from food, but we need to drink water to get the benefit.

Our bodies are a marvel of creation. They are closely maintained on a biochemical level. For example, the fluid outside of our cells has about the same saltiness as ocean water. That is why blood tastes slightly salty. Increase your salt intake and you increase the salt level in your body. The part of the brain and kidneys that regulates salt levels acts to increase your thirst. You then drink water, which dilutes the salt to the correct concentration in your body.

So it makes sense when, in the movies, someone is stranded on the ocean in a lifeboat, they get super thirsty and drink water from the ocean. It just makes them thirstier. They are not diluting the salt level in their body but, rather, increasing it.

So water is essential. Only fresh water will work. Not water substitutes: soda, flavored water, juice, etc. Just good old-fashioned water. The kind like Mom used to make, straight out of the faucet. Jesus is that good old-fashioned water for our souls. Nothing will satisfy besides Him. To illustrate this, let me tell you a story.

Jesus and his disciples were traveling through Samaria. He was worn out by the trip and sat down at the well in the town of Sychar at noon. In the hottest part of the day, a woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus asked her for a drink. In those days, Jews did not talk to Samaritans. Men did not talk to women they did not know. This shows that Jesus came to break down the barriers and give salvation to all people. The woman was shocked that he was talking directly to her. She asked him why he wanted her to get him a drink. He answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water” (John 4:10 [MSG]). She asked him how he was going to get this water, as he had no bucket and the well was very deep. Jesus said, referring to the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst─not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (John 4:13-14 [MSG]).

Later, on the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus declares in a loud voice, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says” (John 7:38 [MSG]

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says, regarding John 7:38:

This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fullness of Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water. These streams have flowed from our glorified Redeemer, down to this age, and to the remote corners of the earth. May we be anxious to make them known to others.

Of course, in those days, if you referred to the Scriptures, you only had the Old Testament. The New Testament was streaming live and had yet to be written.

So let’s see what the Scriptures say.

“Fill the God-river with living water” (Ps. 65:9 [MSG]).

“The poor and homeless are desperate for water, their tongues parched and no water to be found. But I am there to be found, I am there for them, and I, God of Israel, will not leave them thirsty” (Isa.. 41:17 [MSG]).

“For I will pour water on the thirsty ground and send streams coursing through the parched earth” (Isa. 44:3 [MSG]). Fun fact: Remember, God formed man out of dust/dirt from the ground. (See Genesis 2:7)

“Come, all you who are thirsty” (Isaiah 55:1 [NIV]).

“My people have committed two sins: they’ve walked out on me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jer. 2:12 [NIV]).

A cistern is often an underground tank for storing water. (From the footnote in NIV/MSG Bible.) Watertight plaster was used to keep cisterns from losing water. Idols, anything we use to replace God, are like broken cisterns, and will always fail if you worship them. On the other hand, God provides life abundantly and unfailing.

Matthew Henry had this to say regarding cisterns:

Grace in Christ is compared to water from a fountain. In that it is cooling and refreshing, cleansing and making fruitful: to living water. Because it quickens dead sinners, revives drooping saints, supports and maintains spiritual life, and issues eternal life, and is ever-flowing. To forsake this Fountain is the first evil; this is done when people of God neglect his word and ordinances. They hewed themselves out broken cisterns that could hold no water. Such are the world, and the things in it, such are the inventions of men when followed and depended on. Let us, with purpose of heart, cleave to the Lord only; where else shall we go?

(Cleave: to adhere to, cling to, be faithful [MW])

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to clense them from sin and impurity.” (Zech. 13:1 [NIV]). Jesus descended from the house of David, according to Matthew 1.

Then in the New Testament, “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17 [NIV]). I love that He cares so much for us that He wipes away our tears. Think of how intimate that is, someone who loves you, coming close and gently wiping the tears off your cheek. “Lord, you know all my desires and deepest longings. My tears are liquid words and you can read all of them” (Ps. 38:9 [TPT]). “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book” (Ps. 56:8 [NLT]). Can you imagine the size of that bottle? How many pages are in that book?

But fear not, because “[Jesus] has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14 [Phillips]

We just have to choose to be alive with Christ.

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life─ no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. (Rom. 6:6–8 [MSG])

This is awesome news for us!

The current number of people on Earth is 7,515,304,153 (that’s billion!) I don’t even want to attempt the math for the number of tears per person people cry in their lifetime! (See, I can give you a break from math problems in my posts!)

Tear is defined as a drop of the salty liquid that moistens the eye and inner side of the eyelids.(MW) We won’t be leaking any of our water and wasting it, because we are with God and He is with us. The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” He went through heartbreak too and did not worry about being a man and crying in public. So we don’t have to feel bad about shedding our tears before Him. He knows what it feels like and is there to help us with whatever we are going through.

“To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Rev. 21:6 [NIV]).

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1 [NIV]).

Jesus, who we already saw treated as the Lamb from the day of his birth, is the only source for quenching our spiritual thirst and refreshment. Once we accept Him and become changed and refreshed, He has a plan for us.

So like my previous posts Being Salty, Being Fruity, and Being Shiny, my hope is that this message will also inspire all of us to be our best everyday and to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone who God placed in out path.

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