World Water Day

Photo by: Naypong

Water.

It’s vital for life. Some have way too much, and some have too little. I have a friend in Africa who checks her cistern each morning, so she can plan her day. I live where a natural spring furnishes our water, and we use abundant rain run-off for the garden. Some ladies walk long distances with buckets on their heads. Children run to the only pump in town for a drink. In other places, one must only turn on the spigot, day or night. No worries.

I was listening to some comments about World Water Day about the responsible use of water and the redistribution of water.

Jesus also spoke about water. He went through Samaria, because he knew of a woman who needed water. Jesus went to a city called Sychar, straight to Jacob’s well. It was the sixth hour (noon). This is significant, because normally, women went to draw water in the evening, more like six o’clock. Jesus knew when she would be there, of course, because He is God and omniscient. He went to meet her and to meet her spiritual need—her need for water.

The woman goes to the well with a water pot, prepared to draw water. There, she meets a Jewish man. She is surprised when He talks to her. (The Jews did not associate with Samaritans.) He says, Give me to drink (verse 7). She doesn’t understand why a Jew would even talk to her. Jesus understands, and He replies, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water (verse 10).

The Samaritan woman is confused, and she asks Jesus, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (verses 11-12)

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (verses 13-14).

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw (verse 15). The Samaritan woman still doesn’t understand that Jesus is talking about spiritual water, not physical water. She thinks it would be great not to have to tote water every day! And, never to be thirsty again . . . .

But, Jesus isn’t talking about that kind of water. He’s concerned with her soul’s thirst. He begins to ask her about her private life. She’s led a somewhat colorful past—having been married five times and then living in sin with a sixth man. And, Jesus knows!

She’s beginning to get it. This man is someone special. She says, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet (verse 19b). But, she isn’t yet completely trusting Him. She tries to embroil him in a religious-ethnic question about where God should be worshipped. Jesus dismisses the question somewhat by pointing her to Truth: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (verses 23-24).

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things (verse 25).

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he (verse 26).

The woman at the well comprehends! She has met the Messiah, and her life will never be the same again. She has to tell someone!

She left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (verses 28-29)

The woman at the well had spiritual water at last! She would never thirst again. She had tasted the living water. Her Lord had sought and found her. (John 4:4-29)

Besides the story of the Woman at the Well, there are many other biblical references to water:

• Water baptism contrasted with the baptism of the Holy Ghost—Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16
• The water baptism of Jesus—Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32
• Water baptism after salvation—Acts 8:38-39; 10:47
• Giving a cup of water in Jesus’ name—Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41
• The woman at Simon’s house used her tears, instead of water, to wash Jesus’ feet—Luke 7:44
• Jesus and Peter walk on water—Matthew 4:25-32
• Jesus told His disciples to follow a young man with a pitcher of water—Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10
• Jesus calms the sea—Luke 8:23-25
• The rich man in hell wanted water—Luke 16:24
• Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine—John 2:1-10
• Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God—John 3:5
• Jesus heals a crippled man next to the Pool of Bethesda—John 5:1-9
• He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water—John 7:38
• Jesus took water and washed the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper—John 13:5
• Believers are sanctified and cleansed by the water of the word of God—Ephesians 5:26
• And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely—Revelation 21:6
• There’s a river flowing from the throne in heaven—Revelation 22:1
• And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely—Revelation 22:17

Have you tasted the water of life? Has your spiritual thirst been quenched?

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I (Jesus) shall give him shall never thirst;

but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life.