Psalm 23:2

In a day of artificial flavors and developed desire for flash sometimes we forget that common problems more often than not have common solutions.  As much as Sports drinks are hyped up to pleasurably quench our thirst and benefit our bodies, scientists all across the board agree that they will never compare to the good old remedy for thirst…water. 

“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.  And out of his innermost being shall gush forth torrents of living water”

John 7:37, 38

Jesus proclaimed this in the midst of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three great Jewish festivals.  It’s name actually explains quite a bit about the event, for seven days the Jewish people will live in makeshift shelters made of branches and leaves commemorating the days when their ancestors lived in tents wandering through the wilderness (Lev.23:40-43).  The festival takes place in September/October, about six months after the events of feeding the five thousand and many disciples turning away.

On each day of the feast, the people would come with palm branches and march around the altar.  A priest then took a pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carried the water all the way to the temple courts, and poured it out over the altar as an offering to the Lord.  This ceremony represented the time that the Lord brought forth water from the rock during the wilderness wanderings.  On the last day of the festival, the people marched seven times around the altar illustrating the seven laps around the walls of Jericho. 

I can just imagine as they round the altar, palm branches waving and all types of hooting and hollering happening, a man is seen standing up and crying out above the roar of the event.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  He yells.

This began a debate that is still in action today, much like the “Sports drink versus Water” debate, many people were trying to decide whether Jesus was truly the solution, and the question remains to this day.  For those who have done the research however, the question is a common one which has a very simple answer, just as all scientists agree that water is hands down best for thirst, all creation testifies that Jesus is completely the way, the truth, the life, the quencher of thirst, and the sustainer of living water. 

As I watched the field of sheep outside my friend’s window the other day I noticed another thing about the sheep when it came to drinking water.  The shepherd approached and called, gradually all the sheep drew near, then slowly the shepherd made his way to where the sheep would drink.  I witnessed as one sheep decided to trust the shepherd’s voice, then those near him followed towards the shepherd, and gradually those near them the same, leading to good water and wonderful results.

It’s an interesting and sometimes bizarre tendency that we as humans have in common with sheep.  We too naturally follow each other, this sometimes is a dangerous thing being that sheep have been known to follow each other off of cliffs when spooked, and we as the human race have often followed each other away from the good Shepherd and strayed.  On the other hand, there is the occasion when the nature to follow is positive, when the one who has heard the voice of the shepherd moves after the Shepherd knowing that He has always lead them well, and those that follow move closer to experiencing and understanding this lovely truth. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He leads us beside still waters refreshing our spirits and bringing satisfaction to our lives like no other.  Choose to follow Him and you might find that your commitment has lead to the salvation of many others behind you.

Genesis 21:14-15

I love survival information; stories of survival in less than welcoming conditions have always caught my interest.  When reading this passage it struck me that in the conditions of the wilderness of Beersheba, a sunspot of sorts with arid and hot climates, two people wandering with only a small ration of food and water wouldn’t stand much chance for survival.  As I looked for information on how long the average healthy human being could survive while in conditions like the wilderness of Beersheba, I came to find the average survival rule of thumb is: 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.

After Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael off in the early morning with some food and water the situation dried up rather quickly.  Conditions were more than likely pretty rough and as we see in the verses that follow it wasn’t just dehydration that ailed Hagar and Ishmael…it was loss of Hope as well.

In the Bible water often represents the Word of God (John 4, John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26) and the Spirit of God (Isaiah 44:3, Zechariah 14:8, John 7:37-39).  Just as Hagar and Ishmael didn’t stand much chance for survival in the heat of the day while wandering through the wilderness without water, when “the water in the skin” or the living water of our hearts dries up, we too are bound for dehydration and gradual death both physically and spiritually.  The common mistake that we as believers often make is that because we have a Bible in hand and are reading the scriptures we are okay, the truth is that’s only part of the equation. 

Have you ever made the mistake of putting a bottle of some type of beverage to your lips and didn’t realize that the cap was still on the bottle?  The satisfaction of the beverage is there but it’s not accessible unless the cover is removed.   The Bible is like that bottle of water, and the only way that the cap comes off and we are filled with the living water of the Word and the refreshing Spirit of God is through intimate relationship and faith in Jesus Christ.  We can read all we want but when the Spirit of God isn’t present things get pretty dry and our time in the Word isn’t fully satisfying.

“But their minds were blinded.  For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.  Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

2 Corinthians 3:14-16

When times get hot and arid in life and it seems as though all hope is lost we often find ourselves looking for shelter in the most insufficient places, Ishmael wasn’t the only guy that found himself under a shrub, Elijah went under a broom tree, and Jonah tried to find some shade under some leaves as well.  All these guys were in a hopeless state in their respective “hot” situations…perhaps you’re looking to duck under some shade from the heat of your circumstances?  King David tells us that safety is found in abiding in the presence of God.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

Psalm 91:1-2

Where are you today?

Are you looking for refuge from the heat of the day?

Are you dry and thirsty when in the Word of God?

Turn to Jesus, get back to intimacy with Him, He’ll take the cap off your bottle and pour you a fresh glass of satisfaction.