Go to the Source
READ: John 4:1-26
The Mississippi is a huge river. At least, down around Memphis, Tennessee, it is. There the mighty Mississippi stretches its shoulders between the levees that keep it from flooding the town. The waters of the Mississippi are slow and dark. You can’t see anything beneath the surface of the water because of all the silt that the river is carrying. If you drank water from the Mississippi near Memphis, you would likely get sick!
At the source of this magnificent river, however, it’s an entirely different story. The water flows swift and clear. At its source the river has not yet become polluted and loaded with dirt.
God’s Word is always like a river at its source— a refreshing spring for our souls. Jesus even referred to himself as “living water.” The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well knew this was true about Jesus when he spoke to her. “‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet’” (John 4:19).
Where’s the best place to go for information on how to live a Christian life? Go straight to the source – Jesus and his Word.
Some look for direction too far downstream. They are impressed with worldly success, or they look to their own consciences, thinking that they are reliable guides. Some people are easily misled by human ideas, which are muddied by sin just as the Mississippi is muddied by silt downstream. And you and I shouldn’t become overconfident, believing we could never be misled like this.
When the waters of life are getting murky, we need to be reminded of the truth. And, if we want to know the truth, we need to go to the source. In God’s Word the message is clear. The message is refreshing. The message is life-giving. And, as we drink deeply from the Water of Life, we will grow in faith and be empowered to by the Holy Spirit to make God-pleasing decisions and lead God-pleasing lives. Make God and his Word your source everyday!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What can you do to drink more and more deeply of the "living water" of Jesus? How can you share that water with others?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Thank God for sending his Son Jesus to pay for all our sins. Ask God to continue to be a spring of living water in you and in those around you.