Reflections of the Beach: Yucky Water

 

Reflections at the Beach

Week Two

"Yucky Water"

Focus Passage: John 4

Bible Reading: Acts 25-Romans 3

 

   Many of you can recall stories from different vacations. Vacations are always about building memories as a family but the best vacation memories are usually the ones unplanned and are typically the funniest memories. As a father of three, I can say that taking a vacation isn't always very relaxing.  It's parenting but in a different place. On one particular trip to the beach, our youngest was very thirsty, and needless to say, we were out of water. His tiny little toddler mind saw the ocean, knew it was water, and decided that it would be a good idea to give it a sip. I wish I could have captured his face of disgust! His exact words were "yucky water."

   We've all had the experience of taking in ocean water. It's disgusting. Ocean water is a bit deceiving because it's water but it's not potable. The proverbial saying goes "Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink." Ocean water cannot be ingested by the body because of its salt content. Our kidneys cannot flush out that much salt. Amazingly ocean water only contains 3.5% salinity. That doesn't seem like much but it's enough to make us sick or worse. Ocean water is water, but it is not a water of life. There is 'false water' in our world too that seems to offer spiritual life but is devoid of life. Jesus met a woman in Samaria who had been drinking of that well for far too long. In John four a woman of questionable background comes to a well in the middle of the day to avoid the scathing judging eyes of the other women. This woman was by all rights living a scandalous life. Amid this encounter, Jesus tells the woman "Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again, ever! The water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life." Jesus wasn't talking about physical water, but spiritual water, living water.  He was talking about Himself. Later we find that the woman had been drinking spiritual water from a source that did not provide life, it only left her hurting, broken, and lost. Countless false ways say they offer salvation, some of them like the ocean that looks appealing, but each of them is nothing more than a mirage, water that is poisoned, water that cannot provide life. The only water of eternal life is Jesus Christ. If you have trusted in anything else then you are drinking at a well that will never satisfy, that will never save. Leave the 'yucky water' behind that your soul cannot digest or process. Come to the water of life, come to Jesus. 

Reflections on the road:

Write your testimony down and put it somewhere you will see it each day (bathroom mirror, fridge, nightstand, car, toolbox, etc). Thank God for Jesus, the living water, who comes as the only means to satisfy thirsty men's souls.