John 4:14 - How to Satisfy Your Spiritual Thirst.
John 4:14 (NIV) whoever drinks the
water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the
water I give them will become in them a spring of
water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:14 (NLT) those who drink the
water I give will never be thirsty again. It
becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving
them eternal life.
INTRODUCTION
Many spiritual functions parallel physical
functions. As our body hungers and thirsts, so does our
soul. But our soul needs spiritual food and water.
The woman confused the two kinds of water,
perhaps because no one had ever talked with her
about her spiritual hunger and thirst before. We
would not think of depriving our body of food and
water when it is hungry or thirsty. Why then
should we deprive our soul? The living Word, Jesus
Christ, and the written Word, the Bible, can satisfy
our hungry and thirsty soul. [Life Application
SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
He who seeks to quench his thirst at the
fountains of this world will drink only to thirst
again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long
for something to supply the need of the soul.
Only One can meet that want. The need of the
world, "The Desire of all nations," is Christ. The
divine grace which He alone can impart, is as
living water, purifying, refreshing, and
invigorating the soul. Jesus did not convey the idea that
merely one draft of the water of life would suffice
the receiver. He who tastes of the love of
Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks
for nothing else. The riches, honors, and
pleasures of the world do not attract him. The
constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He
who reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting
to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human
resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will
be emptied, the pools become dry; but our
Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink,
and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply.
He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the
fountain of blessing, - "a well of water springing up
into everlasting life." From this source he may
draw strength and grace sufficient for all his
needs. DA187
COMMENTARY
How to Satisfy Your Spiritual Thirst.
Do you feel unsatisfied with your life?
Are you ready to live a fulfilled, meaningful
life? Its time to start looking for
satisfaction in Jesus alone.
If youre like most people, youre
always looking around, trying to find something to
make your life happy and significant. You think,
If I could just wear this kind of clothes, then
Id be cool. If I could just have plastic
surgery and get this fixed, then life would be
grand. If I could just get this job, Id be
satisfied.
The pursuit of these things leaves you
exhausted because these things will never really
satisfy you.
The Bible says, My people have done
two evils: They have turned away from me, the
spring of living water. And they have dug their own
wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold
water (Jeremiah 2:13 NCV).
Not only have you rejected God and not
looked to him to meet all your needs and satisfy
your life - youre also trying to meet your
needs on your own. The wells youve dug - called
a career, good looks, or the perfect house -
arent going to hold water.
In John 4:13-14, Jesus says, Anyone
who drinks this water will soon become thirsty
again. But those who drink the water I give will
never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh,
bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal
life (NLT).
Sin is addictive. It only makes you
thirstier! If you dont believe that, ask anybody
whos looked at pornography - once is not enough.
If you are addicted to prescription medication,
one pill is never enough. If you have a problem
with anger, youre not going to lash out just
once. Sin creates greater thirst for
satisfaction.
Thats how it is with every pursuit
outside of Jesus. It will only leave you thirstier
than you were before!
But Jesus offers living water that will
permanently satisfy your thirst.
If you feel unsatisfied with your life,
youre spiritually thirsty. And the only one who
can quench that thirst is Jesus. " a
relationship with Him. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
The Search Is Over
For her, life was all about men. She was
looking for Prince Charming, a man who would meet
her deepest needs. She had fallen in love again
and again. But as soon as the excitement was
gone, she went looking for another relationship,
and then another, until she ended up empty.
But one day while she stood in the
blazing sun by a well in Samaria, Jesus said to her,
Anyone who drinks this water will soon become
thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give
will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh,
bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal
life (John 4:13-14 NLT).
Jesus wasnt talking about literal
water; He was using it as a metaphor for life. You
could take any so-called well in your life, from
the well of pleasure to the well of materialism,
and youll discover the same thing this woman
did. It may satisfy you for a time, but then you
will thirst again.
This woman had searched for - but never
found - her hearts desire. Thats because she
had a loneliness for God. And no one else was
able to fill it.
We see examples of this in Hollywood all
the time. Celebrities talk about how in love
they are, but then suddenly their relationships
end. Love is not about the initial attraction,
although that is part of it. Love goes beyond that.
And it wont always be exciting and fun.
God has created us to desire
companionship. After He created Adam, God said, It is
not good for the man to be alone. I will make a
helper who is just right for him (Genesis 2:18
NLT).
There is nothing wrong with having a
desire to find the right person. And its
something for which you need to wait upon God.
But its also important to understand
that the person you marry isnt going to meet
every need of your life. There are certain things
that only God can do for you. Only God can fill
the deepest void in your life.
When youre a child, you think that
when youre finally a teenager, life will be
better. Then you become a teenager, and you cant
wait to get your drivers license and a car.
Then your next goal is to get out of high school
and get on with life. After that, your goal is
to become financially independent. On and on it
goes. Its an endless cycle of always reaching
but never finding.
As Solomon pointed out, Those who love
money will never have enough. How meaningless to
think that wealth brings true happiness!
(Ecclesiastes 5:10 NLT).
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ,
the search is over. If we drink of the water
that He gives us, then well be completely
satisfied. We have a spiritual thirst that only God can
satisfy. And all the other things this world has to
offer ultimately will come up short. [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHT
The words of God are the wellsprings of
life. As you seek unto those living springs you
will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into
communion with Christ. MB 19
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
John 4:14 - Living Water.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191125-0909.html
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191101-1124.html
John 4:14 - The Water of Life.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20060515-1004.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
