Thirsty
By Elizabeth Cole
“ ‘…but whoever drinks the water I give
them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a
spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ ”
John 4:14 (NIV)
Imagine a young girl named Jill who
wakes up after a terrifying experience, dull with grief and horribly thirsty.
She becomes simultaneously aware of a gurgling stream and a huge Lion nearby:
“Are you thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I - - could I - - would you mind going away while I do?”
said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and very low growl…
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her
nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to - - do anything to me, if I come?” said
Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come
a step nearer…
“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I
must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion. [1]
The invitation to come
near…to drink of a singular life-giving water…to be changed. It’s a poignant
moment when Jill is introduced to Aslan the Lion in The Silver Chair.
Envision a not-so-young woman who
finds herself dull with the ache of bad life-choices and horribly thirsty. She
comes to a well and to a Man who engages her in conversation, knows everything
about her disappointments and pain, and invites her to drink of a water like no
other. A water that deeply satisfies, that brings ever-abundant springs of
living water and life everlasting. The Scriptures show us that not only does
she accept the Man’s invitation, she is changed (John 4:4-42).
What about you? Have you woken this
day after another life-draining experience…dull with grief…aching from the
life-choices that now rule you? Or are you flat-lined, simply and completely
parched to your very bones? Listen for its echoes as you long for a delicious
rippling stream for your soul. He is here.
Jesus invites you to come, “to drink
without cost from the spring of the water of life.” There is no other
stream...it is He whom you long for. Come and be changed. Come and drink
deeply. Come and be satisfied.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Where are you in your spiritual quest for soul-satisfying water?
2. If you know Jesus, how are you drinking
deeply of Him today? If you don’t, what would one step closer look like?
FURTHER
READING:
[1]
C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (New York: HarperCollins), 20-21.
Elizabeth is a
wife with three grown daughters and two sons-in-law, and is the Director of
Connecting at Oakwood Church.
