Thirsty?

Some years ago in South America, a crew of Peruvian Sailors, heading toward the Amazon River , came upon a strange sight.  A Spanish ship was anchored off the coast and all the sailors were stretched out on the deck of the ship. As the Peruvians drew closer, they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition.  Their lips were parched and swollen. They were literally dying of thirst.

"Can we help you?" shouted the Peruvians.
The Spaniards cried out, "Water! Water! We need fresh water!"

The Peruvian sailors, surprised at this request, told them to lower their buckets 
and help themselves. The Spaniards, fearing they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no!  We need FRESH water!”  But they received the same reply from the Peruvians to lower their buckets and help themselves!

They finally did lower their buckets into the ocean waters, but when they brought the buckets on deck they discovered -- to their amazement -- FRESH WATER!  Unknowingly, they had been anchored for days at the mouth of the Amazon River.  They were too far from land to see the coast, but not too far from the mouth of the River.  There they had access to fresh water in abundance. Dying of thirst, the sailors had given up all hope. All that they needed to do, however, was to lower their buckets.

Like these sailors, many today are dying of ”spiritual thirst”  unaware that 
"Living Water" is well within their reach!

The Scriptures record for us the account of a Samaritan woman of deeply immoral background who went out to Jacob’s well at noon to draw out some water.  She may have been physically thirsty, but Jesus detected in her a greater, ”spiritual thirst”

Jesus said to the woman at the well: “Whoever drinks of this water will THIRST AGAIN, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will NEVER THIRST. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14). The woman responded, “Sir, give me THIS water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (John 4:15).

It seems that this woman was dying of ”spiritual thirst”  and resigned to continue bearing her GUILT and SHAME.  But Jesus informed her that FORGIVENESS and LIFE could be hers if she would just “let down her bucket.”

Like that woman, YOU and I have a sin problem, and ”the wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23).  Yet, Jesus invites us to ” lower our buckets” in faith and obedience so that we may take in the Living Water that quenches our thirst and satisfies our souls.  To drink of the Living Water - we must believe in Jesus 
(Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Matthew 10:32), and be baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus for 
the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  Then, we must continue to drink from the 
” Fountain of Living Water" through our faithful obedience (1 John 1:7).

Thirsty?  Let down YOUR bucket and take in the Life-giving Water!

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

-- *Adapted from Tom Moore, North Main Church of Christ, 823 N. Main Street, Malvern, AR 72104 http://www.malvernchurchofchrist.com/ http://www.seekyefirst.us/

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