Now that Christmas is past, there is always that look at the
previous year and the roller coaster ride of good and bad, successes and
failures, treasured memories and trials that we have endured. As we look to
2017 there are things we all want (and maybe NEED) to do differently. We all
have those areas where we need to improve in order to become who we were
created to be. Some needs are pretty universal. We should get more exercise, be
kinder, serve others, walk with Jesus, love God, be compassionate, drink more
water, listen more than we talk, do our chores with a good attitude… and then
the world will be a better place for all of us.
Clearly, drinking water is a pretty big deal and should be
high on our list. Even Jesus needed water. Remember the story in John 4 where
Jesus sits and waits at Jacob’s Well… longing for someone with a vessel to draw
some clear, cool water to bring relief to his parched throat. Certainly he must
have been dehydrated, for he stopped at the well and sent the disciples on into
town for provisions. Apparently, without a drink of water, he couldn’t make it
into town with them.
No, wait… this was Jesus. He could draw water from a rock if
He chose to. But he didn’t. He had a greater need than water that day. He needed
to connect with a sinner. On this day it was a woman whose life was a train
wreck. He needed her to connect with Him, to engage and communicate with
God in human flesh. That is why he waited at the well.
Every life seems to have a story of longing and seeking
fulfillment; looking for all life has to offer; struggling to find our place to
shine, our reason to “be.” Our bellies
are full of “best laid plans” and sour milk situations that we once thought
would make our existence meaningful, or at the very least, happy. We go to the
right places. We do what we are advised to do. We read and follow the self-help
gurus… but still, we can’t quite quench that need deep within us.
Jacob’s Well was a good well. He was an ancestor to be proud
of. Drinking from his well should be enough. It was probably the Evian of the
first century. Jesus, however, being all wise, knew that even this water that
had sustained life for generations was not enough. Not for Him. Not for the sinful
woman who came to draw her water.
With grace and compassion
He appealed to her that day… out of HIS NEED… not for a drink of
water, but to reunite with one He loved, even in her lost state. He needed to pardon her so that she could be His child, with all the benefits of a princess. He is doing the same today with you and with me. In the midst of our
hot mess….even right in the middle of our identity crisis… our search for
fulfillment… our climb to “significance” …our quest for true love. There He is,
asking you, asking me to join Him, forever… to drink from His wealth … not our own;
not our ancestors; not from places to which a broken world seems to have directed
us.
The "well" where we "drink" may have good water, but it is not
going to create the life for which our souls long. Our cravings will continue.
Our hearts will remain dry. Our joy will not be complete until we submit to the
One who engages our heart in that conversation, asking us to drink from His
unending supply of Life. Life that is more amazing than we can ever imagine.
If you want to be a better parent, a better spouse, a better
student, a better employee, a better follower of Christ in 2017, try focusing
on the One who is calling you to sit with Him and drink in all that He has for
you. That is the reason for the manger. That is the reason for the cross. You have an invitation from the Creator of the universe. Your time with Him is never EVER wasted. It is transformational.
He has been missing you…
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