I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. – Revelation 21:6
Our world is a very watery place. As many of us know, seventy percent of the earth is covered by water. To put it in a different perspective, if all the surface water in the world were poured on the contiguous forty-eight states of the United States, the water would be ninety miles deep! And yet, there is even more water in the world. It exists in the air as vapor; in the ground it is moisture; it is even in rocks! And it is a good thing, because water is uniquely necessary for every living thing. Nothing that lives can survive without it.
In John 4:10-14, when Jesus said that He is the Living Water, He was drawing a powerful illustration. He was trying to explain just how important—how utterly vital—it is to have Him in our lives. We need Him not just a little, but in abundance, for there can be no life without Him.
There are many parallels between natural water and the Living Water. For example, one interesting fact about water is that it is never lost. When water goes down the drain, it does not just go away; it is treated to be used again somewhere else. In the water cycle, it falls to the ground as rain, flows in streams and then rivers until it reaches the ocean, and then is evaporated into the clouds to be rained down again. The water we use today has been around since the Creation.
In the same way, Jesus always has been and always will be. When Christ told some Jews that Abraham saw His day and rejoiced, they were confused because Abraham had been dead for hundreds of years. They thought Jesus was blaspheming God, but He explained, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). He has always been here, and still is today! Even when the world seems more sinful than ever, we know that Jesus is here and He is in control.
Water also absorbs heat. In the radiator of a car, it is used to cool the engine, and the same process is used in many heat-producing machines. Water is used to sooth burns and to extinguish fires. The Living Water also quenches fire. Our enemy the devil brings fire on every side—such as the fire of sickness, confusion, or persecution. He may bring all sorts of fiery trials into our lives, but the Living Water extinguishes them. Jesus is able to overcome any threat, so we can walk through the fire without being burned (Isaiah 43:2).
We need the Living Water in our lives, and Jesus said He will give it freely to those who thirst. He just gives and gives, and gives again! Come to Him, and let Him saturate your heart today!