John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the festival, 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.”
How frustrating to know the supply of water is near with no means of accessing it.
We experienced an electrical outage the other day. After about three hours PP&L restored the electricity, much to our delight. But one caveat interrupted our relief. We had no running water! Evidently, the outage damaged the foot valve in our pump and although we had plenty of water in the well, the pipes remained dry. Unfortunately, this happened on a Saturday night, meaning no plumbers were available until after the weekend.
So we made due. My husband lowered buckets to draw up enough water from the well to flush the toilets. And I boiled enough to wash dishes. We were stocked with bottled water for drinking and my sister-in-law offered us their shower. It actually triggered sweet memories of camping vacations! But I have to say, we were ready when the water started flowing through the pipes again.
No one disputes the necessity of water. H2O makes life possible. But it does us little good if we can’t get to it.
The same with living water.
I wonder how Jesus felt as he looked over the crowded temple courts on the last day of the feast of tabernacles. It was the day when the priests read from Isaiah 12:3— “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Jesus, in declaring himself to be the source of living water, revealed the way to that well. Those who believed in him would have access to RIVERS of nonending waters…nonending waters of life.
As followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit bubbles up within us like an artesian well (John 7:39). We have 24/7 accessibility. But many don’t. Their souls are parched. They’ve been wandering in the desert a long time, looking for a well. Or perhaps they’ve become stranded on a ship surrounded by undrinkable sea water.
Maybe it’s time for us to repair some faulty foot valves in our spiritual lives to make the living water more accessible. Then lead the thirsty to Jesus, who offers “water, water everywhere…. with plenty to drink!