A WORD FOR TODAY, November 12, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 12, 2021
“Jesus answered her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14, WEB
My husband and I are taking a couple days at a cabin in the country that we like to visit a couple times a year. It is not far from home, but it is far enough to give us a break. We don’t disconnect from the world, but we do things we just don’t do at home. We bring a television and catch up on movies we haven’t had the chance to watch. We hike the grounds of the camp where we are staying. We do puzzles. My husband brought a pile of magazines he hasn’t read. I brought a sketch pad to work on a painting I’m planning. We have lunch in a delightful tree house. We watch the sunset. We spend two days together and go home relaxed and ready to face whatever has become our normal.
Our hike yesterday led us to a bluff that overlooks the main camp site. It is autumn and we were hoping that we would see some color in the trees. Now, we live in Texas where most of the trees are live oaks and cedar elms whose leaves do not change colors and drop in the fall. There are some around the state where you can see fall colors, such as Lost Maple State Park. There are not a lot of deciduous trees at camp, but there are some. It was interesting to note that most of the trees that were changing color were those located right along the banks of the creek.
It makes sense, though. The live oaks and cedar are trees that can survive the semi-arid conditions in Texas. We often go years in drought, though some creeks like the one that runs through camp always has some water. This is the perfect place for trees that need water to grow well, and those that are planted farther away just can’t thrive. The creeks are fed by underground springs, so the water is constantly new and nourishing.
We may not need to live next to a creek, but we need a source that will meet our deepest needs. Christians have discovered the source of life, the Living Water of Jesus Christ. We need Him to thrive. We need the spiritual sustenance that can only come from the God who created and redeemed us. He knows what we need and He provides it abundantly.
The woman in this story from John relied on the well like all the people in that time and place. They didn’t have faucets in their kitchens to get the water they need for daily living, so they had to go to the well, fill pots and then carry them home. This woman was outcast, so she went alone at noon. It was a difficult task, particularly in the heat of day. Even well water can become tepid during the day, no longer cool and soothing to the one who drinks of it. She knew that there had to be something better for her, so when Jesus offered her running water, like the water of a creek that is constantly fed from springs.
It is the Living Water of Jesus Christ that gives life and renews a person: His Word of mercy, forgiveness and grace. The woman at the well would always need to go get water to keep her body alive, but she was renewed by the words of Jesus that is like a constantly running creek and that Word began to flow through her so that she could share the Gospel message with others.
Oh, how wonderful it is to get deep in God’s word, to find the depths of His love in the scriptures and His Spirit. But true wisdom is not found in great theological knowledge or spiritual understanding. It is found in the Living Water of faith that flows through Jesus into our hearts and into the world. He makes us thrive even in a world that is dry and dead as a drought ravaged land.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org.
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