Is there a thirst in your soul that you cannot seem to quench? A longing for something more? Do you restlessly move from one thing to the next, only to find the state of your soul empty still?There lived a woman over two thousand years ago that felt this way. Her soul was desperately thirsty, and nothing could quench her thirst. She went from relationship to relationship, marriage to marriage, but never felt the satisfaction her heart longed for. Her soul was empty, dry, and dying.
But one day she met Someone unlike anyone she had ever known. He seemed to see right through to her panting, lonely heart and began to tell her about "living water" and never thirsting again. Could this really be?
"Where do you get this living water?" she asked Him. (John 4:11) He said that He could give it to her. This Man is Jesus, the giver of living water. And He was inviting her freely to come and drink of it.
"...But whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never thirst; but the water that I give him will become in him a well springing up to eternal life." John 4:14
Was her heart singing when she heard these words? Could He be true? Is this what she had been looking for her entire life? "Sir, give me this water..." she spoke as her heart slowly opened to believe. She who believes in Jesus will never thirst. (John 6:35) Jesus was the only One who could give her the water her soul craved. She drank and was satisfied.
This story has a happy ending, but the more I am in the world, the more I see so many unhappy stories and painful endings. People live their lives without ever tasting the living water that only Jesus can give them. We drink of one thing, then another, hoping to quench our thirst, but it leaves us dry and... still thirsty.
"For My people have committed two evils: the have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13
This Scripture pierces my heart because it describes the downfall of so many (including me) in this world. We go searching for satisfaction in all sorts of things, and make for ourselves cisterns, but our cisterns are broken! And they can't hold any water.
Every time we try to satisfy ourselves, we forsake God who is the fountain of living waters! In this dry and weary land where there is no water, our souls thirst for God, our flesh yearns for Him (Ps. 63:1). We are like deer panting for water, for the living God (Ps. 42:1-2). The only place to find the satisfaction your heart is searching for is in Jesus. He is the Fountain of Life and the satisfaction of our souls. The longings in your heart are not leading you to that next relationship/substance/earthly passing pleasure. No, it is leading you - drawing you - to Jesus Christ for ultimate fulfillment and peace.
Like the woman at the well, Jesus is welcoming us to come to Him, drink of the water He gives, and leave as a changed woman... free from bondage and alive and fulfilled in Christ alone.
Oh, may I never grow weary panting after Him! When I drink His water and follow Him - I feel so fulfilled. May this ALWAYS be the case!
ReplyDeleteYes, how wonderful it is that Christ will satisfy our thirst! And the more we abide in Him, the more He will draw us closer to Himself. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow! I was thinking about this very subject last night and this morning! Every once in a while, the hunger and longing to be loved and cherished by a special someone fills my heart. I was crying out to Jesus this morning asking Him to fill me like He did for the woman at the well. I know that He's the only One who can satisfy me completely!
ReplyDeleteKaysie, I know that you've already read these posts on my website, but for those of you haven't, feel free to check out my thoughts on this subject:
http://hisgirl4ever.witnesstoday.org/water1408.htm
http://hisgirl4ever.witnesstoday.org/well11108.htm
Hi there Kaysie,
ReplyDeleteI just happened upon your site and absolutely love it! One of my favorite quotes is the one you have on your page about how a woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ... I was doing a search for it online and found something that said it was incorrectly attributed to Maya Angelou. It did seem odd to me that she would say that based on the little I know of her. Based on what I could find, Max Lucado actually said it, which makes much more sense! Anyway, feel free to do some research, but I figured you would want it to be properly credited. It's such an awesome quote and so true!! Thanks for taking the time to offer this wealth of encouragement to your single sisters!
Beautiful, Kaysie! I loved reading this.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
First of all, thank you for this encouraging post!
ReplyDeleteI went to a Revive our Hearts conference (Nancy DeMoss) with my mom this past weekend and she spoke on the very same thing! She also mentioned our "wells", the things we turn to seeking fulfillment from instead of God. A lot of what she said was similar to what you have written!
In Him,
Allison