To Those Who Thirst.

Do you ever find yourself wanting more?

I do... a lot. I find myself sometimes uncomfortably satisfied after eating, drinking, or doing nearly anything, but only for a short period of time. The more I look for something to satisfy a longing inside me, the more I look to replace what I have found with something new or seemingly "better".

"Come, everyone who thirst, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." (Isaiah 55:1-3 ESV)

The bible is God's love letter to us and I am reminded of this invitation from the Lord to come and drink and be satisfied every time I open my bible. I come back to this idea of something that will satisfy my thirst every time I realize I am trying to fill a void. We can easily find ourselves looking to other things to fill a void in our hearts, whatever it may be. We live in a consumer society, which means we are constantly surrounded by the latest and greatest things everyone has to have. Not to mention, plastered on billboards, in magazines, and on T.V. are countless ads trying to convince you of what will make you happy and finally satisfy you.

Sadly, I am here to tell you simple truth. Achieving that bikini body or finally buying your first pair of Lululemon leggings will in fact not satisfy you forever. I am a victim to this lie myself. I catch myself saying the same phrases over again, "If I could just lose this amount of weight or if I could just buy this product then, I will be happy."

WRONG. The undeniable truth is that getting a bikini body or buying some product will not lead to never-ending happiness. Neither will searching for satisfaction in blurry nights and bad decisions, which I am also immensely guilty of.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6 ESV)

BLESSED He says, How encouraging is this!!! Have you ever heard the story in John chapter 4 of Jesus and the Women of Samaria? How encouraging and powerful of a story this is. Jesus and His disciples stopped to rest in the village of Sychar, where Jesus spoke with this Samaritan women at a well, on their way to Galilee from Jerusalem. This Samaritan women come to the well to draw water and Jesus broke all the rules. He asked her for a drink. WOAH...hold up there are three things to note here:

1. Jesus spoke to a women, when at the time men weren't seen speaking to women at all.

2. He spoke to a Samaritan, Jews did not converse nor even interact with Samaritan people at this time (v. 9).

3. Lastly, not only did Jesus break these social boundaries, but he talked to this women who was in fact an "adulteress". This Samaritan, who was also a women had five husbands and the man she was with when she had her encounter with Jesus was not her husband either. (which also made her just like all of us; a sinner)

My reaction to Jesus probably would have been a lot like her reaction in that day and age. She responded to him and asked why him, a Jew, would speak to a Samaritan women. He responded to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (v. 10) Still having no idea who Jesus is, she responded to him and asked where he would get this "living water". She claimed the well was too deep and there was no way to draw water from the well without a bucket.

"Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will not be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 ESV)

Powerful words, wouldn't you agree? Yet, the women still had no idea who Jesus was. She took Jesus's words literally, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."(v. 15) Oh boy... I would probably be just as oblivious as she was, but with patience the conversation continued,

"Go, call your husband and come here." The women answered him,"I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right saying, 'I have no husband'; For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." The women said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." (John 4: 16-19 ESV)

Ah, now the women sees who this stranger is she's speaking with at the well! I chuckled as I read though this passage for how funny it was she had no idea the one whom created her inmost being, who knit her together in her mother's womb was sitting right in front of her face. How wonderful it was that Jesus had so much patience with this women. He showed his strong desire to save the lost despite the time, culture, and tradition they were living in. He shows us that the gift of eternal life is freely given to anyone who wants it. His love for us is greater than we could ever imagine and his grace is overflowing.

The Samaritan women longed for something to fill the void inside of her,"Give me this water." She wanted what Jesus had to offer and was given the living water, which was so much greater than anything else she could have possibly imagined. We, like the Samaritan women, are all searching for something to fill a void that can only be filled by the one whom was sent to rescue us from a world drowning in sin.

The good news is that no matter how far we've strayed or how lost we are, we can ALWAYS find our way back to Him. It doesn't take much; it takes a heart for the Lord and effort to continuously live out His plan for our lives. I would commit those two things everyday for the rest of my life in order to live free of the guilt and shame this empty world has to offer.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 ESV)