|
John 4:5-42 A couple of strangers were visiting a dusty little town in the back country of west Texas. It was hard-shell Baptist country: No drinkin' and no dancin'! But these two were strangers, so they asked a cowboy where they might get a drink. "In this town," said the cowboy, "they use whiskey only for snakebite." Then he added slyly, "There's only one snake in town. So you better get in line before it gets worn out!" Some thirst — to hug a snake! The woman at the well had a mighty thirst, a thirst so big it led her through five husbands and who knows what else. And still she was thirsty — though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was she was longing for. Jesus could see her sadness, so He helped her see what that dry, parched, empty feeling inside her was really about: She was thirsting for love that would last, love that would fill her full and give purpose to her life. Nothing less would do. By His kindness to her, as well as by His words, Jesus showed her where that kind of love is to be found. He showed her, and her heart caught fire. We all have a mighty thirst, like the woman at the well, a thirst for a love so big that it can give purpose, and shape, and meaning to the whole of our lives. We've looked for that love in all sorts of places, often in dead-end streets. At times we've caught a glimpse of it and then got distracted and let it slip away. But God is infinitely patient with us, and this restless thirst we feel — at times so painfully — is His gift, calling out to us, calling and calling, protecting us from settling for anything less than Himself at the center of our lives. For He alone is big enough to fill us full. He alone can give purpose to our lives. He alone can bring us living water — joy that lasts forever. He alone! He alone! Listen to His call inside you. Hear it, and say "Yes!" |
