Living Water

Yesterday, I decided I needed to get an edger for my lawn. For those of you who do not know what an edger is, an edger is a device used to cut the excess grass from the lawn along sidewalks, walk ways, plant beds, driveways, roads, etc. For those interested in an edger you have the option of buying a gas, electric, or manual version. The gas and electric are typically $80+ and the manual tools are between $20 and $40. Well, my wife and I are of modest means so I decided to buy the cheaper manual edger to use at my home. After bringing the edger home, I had the excitement of using it. To utilize a manual edger you place the edger next to the driveway then lunge onto the edger, as you would a shovel, to cut the overgrown grass and make a cut line between the driveway and the lawn. The edger I bought is approximately the width of a shovel and has just enough width for your feet to bear down on the tool. After 50 or so times of placing and jumping on the device I am hot, my back hurts, and I need to escape to the safety of my air conditioned home. As I walk in and close the door, I notice I am sweating profusely, my hands are covered in dirt from pulling the cut grass from the driveway, and I feel as though I am severely dehydrated. I choose to hold off on my dire need to rehydrate and decide to wash my hands first. After washing off layers of dirt, I quickly head to the kitchen for that cool crisp bottle of water I so desperately need.

I’m sure by now you are asking yourself what all this has to do with an authentic Christian walk site. Well, as I was drinking my water and lying down to recover, I thought about all the times in my life I had allowed myself to become spiritually dehydrated and exhausted. I had to cool down by washing off the sweat and dirt from my body before drinking the water. If I had just drank the water my thirst would’ve been partially quenched but I still would’ve been sweaty and dirty. Water is used to both cleanse us and quench our thirst. This is also true of our Lord’s living water. Both are necessary to receive the full blessings from the Lord. How often have we missed out on being renewed and refreshed by our Lord because we sought his living water to quench our thirst without allowing him to also attend to the sinfulness and dirt in our lives? In Psalm 51, David lays out what God desires when we come to him. In the Old Testament the Hebrew’s were required to give offerings to the Lord as repentance for sins but in verses 16 and 17 David says this, “For you would not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise.” Some of you may be asking what the word contrite means. Contrite means: feeling regret and sorrow for one’s sins or offenses. It is necessary for us to be cleansed by his living water before we can be filled with His living water otherwise we taint the water we are given.

I believe the devil uses our sin and filth to keep us from drinking of our Lord’s cleansing and refreshing water of Life. We try to clean ourselves up before coming to our Lord because we are ashamed but we don’t realize that our God already knows our sins and still has his arms out stretched for us. Jesus said, “If any one thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37. In this scripture, there are no requirements for coming to Jesus except being humble and contrite. Don’t let anything in your life keep you away from quenching your spiritual thirst and allowing it to cleanse you of your sin. Don’t let the Devil keep you away from the water Jesus gives, The Lord is always there for you ready and able to meet your needs, to comfort you, and to cover you with His robe of of grace and peace. What is keeping you from drinking in his grace, love and mercy and letting it wash your sins clean and refresh you?
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