100% Living Water

Growing up in the 1960s and ‘70s had a lot to offer. It was before game systems and the internet entered our lives, meaning we were left to our imagination and desire to be outside.
Our summertime was spent on the Gulf shores of Cedar Island. The fall and winter months were spent exploring the backwoods of home with family camping trips. Regardless of the time of year or the adventure, we were always near water.
Our childhood seemed filled with unbottled water. Our camping spots were always near the freshwater springs of home. Iron Springs, Blue Springs, or the Goose Pasture on the Aucilla River made the perfect backdrop for weekend adventures. Water gave us food when we were hungry, a fresh drink when we were thirsty, and a salty splash when we were hot.
As a child, I never considered the importance of water, just the fun and family togetherness it seemed to inspire. However, the human body is composed of about 60% water. The heart and brain have 73% water each, while the lungs comprise 83%. With percentages like these, we can conclude that our emotions (heart, metaphorically speaking), thought processes, and breath come from water – no wonder we are naturally drawn to its shores in one form or another.
Spiritually speaking, God used water as a protective barrier when Moses led the Israelites to the Land of Canaan. The Lord intervened, parting the waters when the Red Sea seemed impassable. This act helped the Israelites escape the pursuit of the Egyptian army. Once Israel safely crossed over on the dry land, the Lord caused the waters to return and destroy their enemy (Exodus 14). It is a strong example of God’s hand upon the waters protecting His chosen people.
Just like an Egyptian army of old, we have an enemy of today. In 1st Peter 5:8, we are instructed to be alert because the enemy, Satan, prowls the earth like a raging lion looking for someone to devour. Just as Israel was in the physical wilderness, we are in a spiritual one. When we grow weary and barriers block our way, our Heavenly Father cares for us. He sustains our lives and gives us living water in the wastelands of this world (Isaiah 43:19).
John 4 teaches us about the wastelands of this life through the Samaritan Woman: One day, she stood at the crossroads between two wellsprings. The first was Jacob’s well, a symbol of her ancestry, which would only leave her thirsty again. The second was the well of living water, promising to quench her soul’s deepest longings. This wellspring originated from within the life-sustaining waters of Jesus. In choosing the Lord, her spiritual thirst was quenched, her life changed, and her adversaries destroyed. Her choice marked a turning point in her life (John 4).
In a world filled with various sources that promise to satisfy our deepest longings, the well of living water is our only fulfillment. Like the Samaritan Woman at the well, we face daily decisions about where we seek satisfaction. As we stand at the intersection of our past and future, let us choose the wellspring of Jesus, where spiritual thirst is quenched and lives are transformed. Maybe it is time we allow our hearts the opportunity to camp beside the life-sustaining waters that bring hope, restoration, and peace, for our souls are 100% living water.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Isaiah 55:1

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.