Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Thirst of the soul


The well was dry beside the door,
And so we went with pail and can
Across the fields behind the house
To seek the brook if still it ran;” - Robert Frost

Thirst can make anyone stop what they are doing and go in search of water.  Every living thing feels the same when it comes to needing water. We see a thirsty deer depicted in Psalm 42, which pants to get to the water brooks.  May be after a long hot day of wandering around in search of food or after the strain in trying to run to a safe place from its predators, this deer yearns to get to a stream of water to revitalize it’s weary self.  Psalmist was able to relate to this deer as he found his soul deeply wanting to be quenched of its thirst.

As the quenching of the physical thirst is an absolute necessity, even more the thirst of the soul.  However, it could not be satisfied with the natural sources. Even the most expensive drink would not work, when it comes to a weary soul.  Like the mirages in the wilderness, the temporal things leave the soul destitute and wandering for the real thing.

The woman at the well that Jesus encountered in John 4 was also in a similar situation.  She knew where to get water for her physical need and came to draw it out. However, she had a greater thirst deep inside her soul which remained unsatisfied.  She had tried many things and been in different relationships but none of it worked. Whether she recognized her real need or not, that day a miracle was awaiting her.  As she went to draw out water that day, Jesus who was sitting at the well asked her for a drink. It was unusual for a Rabbi to speak to a woman and especially to a Samaritan.  While she stood surprised, Jesus said:

If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)
The real purpose of the Lord talking to her was that she would come to know the gift of God and who Jesus really is. Jesus gave her a wonderful offer that He is able to give her the living water. He also said, it will spring up in the inner being of whoever drinks it, a fountain of living water.  Hence not just pacifying the immediate thirst but something that is lasting and continually satisfying.

Who wouldn’t want to take up such an offer and for free! What an amazing news for any thirsty soul to have the kind of water that would quench the thirst of the soul and spirit. And moreover, how wonderful to get to know this life-giving source of eternal contentment. If you feel like your wells are running dry and the brooks are nowhere to be seen, let’s remember that His offer still stands, and hence let us draw closer to Him!  May your thirst be quenched and your soul be abundantly satisfied as you drink from Him today, God bless you!


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