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“You there! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost”.  Isaiah 55:1

When you’ve been out for a walk on a warm day, working in the yard, or even just eating some salty snacks, there’s nothing like gulping down a big glass of cold water to quench your thirst. (Well, actually, for me it would be a big glass of lukewarm water—can’t stand to drink cold things. Weird, I know. And I digress.) It’s gloriously refreshing and satisfying. The thing is, after that glass is emptied, you will want—and need—more. In fact, human beings cannot survive without water for more than about three days and should ideally consume 11-15 cups of water per day.

But beyond physical thirst, humans have an innate spiritual thirst within us. Some have called it a “God-shaped hole” that we will constantly try to fill. We pour on (and in) relationships, work, stuff, alcohol, drugs, or food. Something might quiet the craving for a moment, but it comes back, often with vengeance. The deep thirst is not quenched. (Believe me, I tried everything for about 30 years.)

Sisters, nothing on this earth can satisfy the void we so desperately want to fill. We are created to be in communion with God, and since the Fall of man and woman in the Garden, the quest for reunion drives everything we do. To continue the “God-shaped hole” analogy: because it’s God-shaped, God is the only way to fill the void.

There’s a beautiful event recorded in John’s gospel where our Lord addresses this exact issue. The story is about the Samaritan woman at the well, and it may be a familiar one to you. (This passage is actually chocked full of amazing and astounding lessons, so please take some time to dig in!) The scene starts when Jesus asks the woman for a drink of water from a well. Now, when you read it, you’ll see that she’s been living a life of unsatisfying “void-filling-efforts”—and Jesus knows it. But He ultimately says to her: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

What about you? Are you drinking from various wells of this life to find satisfaction? (To quote Dr. Phil, “How’s that workin’ for ya?”) Jesus Christ can quench your deep, soul-level thirst. And once you allow Him to do so, the wells of this world lose their appeal. Are you thirsty? Accept this fountain of the water of life given freely to anyone who thirsts (Revelation 21:6)…and never thirst again.

“Thank You, Lord, for the soul-quenching gift You freely offer when we surrender to You. May I, in response, offer this refreshing Living Water to others.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life