Tired from His journey, Jesus sat down and asked a rejected, shame filled Samarian widow for something He knew she needed. She had been married five times and now was with a man that was not her husband. (In the Hebrew, the word widow means ‘desolate’, and the Greek renders, ‘lacking in a husband’.) She was hurting and searching for a drink that satisfies.
When Elijah journeyed to the Zarephath widow, he also asked her for a drink, which brought both her and her son life, the very thing they desperately needed (1 Kings 17:10).
Have you been dry and longed to be fulfilled? Have you wondered what God has for you?
Jesus continued, ‘Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ (John 4:6-10).
Revelation 22 speaks of the river of life coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. It waters the Tree of Life that brings forth fruit and healing for the nations.
These women were not just asked to give a drink but to be obedient in order to experience a journey into the life God had designed for them. They were asked to give the very thing they needed. And through their obedience, nations were opened to the kingdom! The spiritual doors of Samaria were unlocked to the gospel. This deed brought us the ‘good Samaritan’ Jesus spoke of in Luke 10 as an example of what a neighbor is; one that does what is right. The courageous steps of obedience helped the widow of Zarephath face her fears and sustain the prophet so that all of Israel would turn back to God. Their dryness drew them to the answer and moved them into their destiny effecting not only themselves but also nations!
Have you felt hopeless? Fought depression and loneliness? Felt spiritually dry and without purpose? Let your thirst drive you to the well! Cry out to the Lord and tell Him you need refreshing and are willing to do whatever He has chosen you to do. (In Romans 6 we are enlightened, that whatever we obey, we become the servants of righteousness or sin.) Are you ready to move out of your dry place?
God calls us to journey to the throne, to allow the Lamb to expose and meet our needs. It’s when we get our eyes off ourselves and worship Him that the waters can spring up. I encourage you to daily spend time in the living waters drinking of His presence. Discover what brings you joy and what satisfies. Then let the river flow through you to others who are thirsty. Who needs His love today? Your act of obedience could change nations but it starts with just one drink.