GOD AS OASIS
Like the Israelites, contemporary Christians find themselves living in a
wilderness. The culture around us does not embrace our values, and it can be
tiring to live a life of service among people who don’t return our love. As we try to impact our world, God often
challenges us to face our fears and perform tasks that we feel incapable to
perform. We may find ourselves enduring the dust of discouragement and the
painful rocks of criticism and hatred. As we face this wilderness, Christians can identify with the psalmist
who thirsts for God. Sometimes we feel as though we just can’t continue. We
have given of ourselves until there seems to be nothing left, and we feel empty
and alone. At times like these, God’s
people need to go to En Gedi-a place where they renew their strength and enjoy
God’s living water. Whether it be personal prayer, Bible study, worship with
believers, or walks through creation, Jesus disciples must take time for
activities that fill us up. If we don’t
drink God’s living water, we risk burnout. But when we do find our refreshment
in God, we will find strength for the days ahead. The water I give [you] will
become in [you] a spring of water (John 4:13-14).
NO
SUBSTITUES
The Israelites had access to the living water of God, but they rejected
it for the muddy waters of pagan worship and their own selfish desires. How
often we do the same today! Our world is
filled with dead waters. Health,
beauty, wealth, romance-they all promise to bring lasting happiness. But
worldly pleasures are like the waters of the Dead Sea, beautiful from a
distance, but incapable of bringing refreshment. Those who turn to these waters
will end up thirsty time and again. Other dead waters fill the cisterns we’ve dug with our own hands.
Sometimes, we create our own plans for life and refuse to listen when God
challenges them. These cisterns soon fill with stagnant water: No matter how
hard we work, our cistern water cannot give us the stamina or peace we yearn
for. Every time we seek after these dead
waters, we miss an opportunity to enjoy Gods living water, and we eventually
tire ourselves out. There simply is no
substitute for the living water of Jesus. Only he can provide the water that
quenches our deepest thirsts.
LIVING
IN A THIRSTY WORLD
There are many thirsty people in our world-people who yearn for peace and
satisfaction with their lives. They’re searching for living water that will
give meaning to their lives. Unfortunately, a lot of people try to quench their thirst in the wrong
places. Drugs, sex, money, success-all of these things look so attractive but
fail to satisfy. Instead of finding the living water of God, many people keep
turning to these dead waters, hoping to find one that will finally
satisfy. Jesus has given his followers
the only water that truly quenches thirst. But so often we hide that water
behind our church doors, keeping it for ourselves or sharing it only with
fellow believers. Our Rabbi demonstrated
a different way to use living water. He filled up with God’s living water and
used it to meet the needs of those around him. When encouragement and
compassion were needed, he was there to offer it to religious people and pagans
alike. As we fill up with waters at En
Gedi, God’s disciples have been given a source of refreshment that we can share
with others. We live in a thirsty world-let’s offer a truly refreshing
drink. Have you been filling up with
living water and sharing it with others-or are you growing weary with the
cistern waters that don’t satisfy?
