A tall, cold glass of water. The condensation on the glass cools my hand. Clear, pure, colorless, odorless; free of man-made chemicals and corruption. I lift the glass to my lips and drink this water that deeply refreshes.
A small, gurgling stream in the forest. Silky ripples, floating leaves, water flowing smoothly around rocks and branches. Liquid as clear as crystal, revealing the pebbles on the stream bed. I scoop my hands and splash my face. It washes clean the sweat and grit—this water that deeply cleanses.
A long-awaited storm in a drought-stricken land. Rain falls, soaking soil, trickling down tree bark, dripping off leaves. The soil sprouts new shoots, the tree stands strong again, the leaves begin to flourish, and children jump joyfully in the puddles—all from this water that deeply renews.
Refreshing, cleansing, renewing. Without water we would be thirsty, dirty, and lifeless. So when Jesus uses water as a metaphor to describe Himself, we do well to listen.
This water refreshes us. “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!” Jesus shouts to us (John 7:37). The water He offers refreshes forever, becoming a “fresh, bubbling spring” within us as we drink it in (John 4:14). This water cleanses our sweaty, dusty feet (John 13:6-10), and washes away our dirty, gritty sins (1 John 1:9). This water renews us. All who drink of it will have rivers of life burst forth from their heart (John 7:38), bubbling springs that bring eternal life (John 4:14). Indeed, the One who quenches our deepest thirst is making all things new (Revelation 21:5-6).
Jesus is the clear, pure, corruption-free water that refreshes, cleanses, and renews. “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink!” He says (John 7:38). Come again to the very source of life itself.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 49:1-33
More:
Read Psalm 1:3, 42:1; Isaiah 32:2; Jeremiah 17:8, 31:9; Ezekiel 36:25; and Hebrews 10:22 and note how the “water” metaphor is used.
Next:
How have you experienced Jesus’ offer of refreshing, cleansing, and renewing water? How will you spend time “drinking” from Him today?
roxanne robbins on January 30, 2012 at 7:00 am
A timely post for me as this morning I was chatting with three children in front of my house that were on their way to the nearby creek to collect their family’s water supply for the day.
Even after collecting the water, they still have to take it home and purify the water by boiling it over a hot fire.
As I daily watch people in Uganda struggle to have clean water each day, I find myself appreciating even more God’s promise of forever pure and refreshing water that comes through Him. I’m glad we don’t have to carry Jerry Cans to collect refreshment from the Lord.
sheridan voysey on January 31, 2012 at 5:04 am
Wow Roxanne, what a difference context makes in understanding something. Your daily experience highlights the ‘purity’ that we’re talking about above more than my experience in urban Sydney and now Oxford.
Thanks for sharing.
daisymarygoldr on January 31, 2012 at 10:52 pm
This “clear, pure water” devo sounds cool (no pun intended). Water so intrigues me that at work the Q that I usually ask is: why people look for water when searching for life on other planets. And during a bible study whenever creation is discussed, talking about what day water was created— makes us thirst for more…
In John 7, on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles it was during the water-pouring ritual, Jesus declared Himself as the fulfillment of Scripture (Isaiah 12:1-3). The water drawn from the Pool of Siloam and poured out on the altar symbolically represented the outpouring of God’s Spirit.
When we drink—which means to believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us thus quenching our thirst for God’s presence. He then becomes rivers of living water flowing out of us to satisfy the thirst of others.
In addition to the refreshing, cleansing, and renewing properties, God’s living water also heals and restores. The ministering of the Holy Spirit brings life, causes us to grow in grace and in faith— and produces plenty of good fruit in our lives.