The Water of Life

Water! What a blessing! To think that here in America, if we are thirsty, we simply turn on the faucet, go to the water fountain, or open up a container of bottled water. When we get ready to take a shower, wash our car, water our garden, we simply turn on the faucet. Oh how we take this wonderful blessing of water for granted!

While "the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep...the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2). During the creative process, God said, "Let there be a firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so" (Gen. 1:7). From the reading of these verses, perhaps water was one of the "firsts" of God's creation, in that, it existed when the earth was still without form and void. Most all living creatures God put here on earth are composed of a high percentage of water. Humans, animals, and vegetation all need water in order to survive.

I find it interesting that God, in His wisdom, included immersion in water as part of His plan of salvation for man -- baptism. Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mk. 16:16). He further stated, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:5). The eunuch said to Philip, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?...And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him" (Acts 8:36-38). At the house of Cornelius, Peter raised the question, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized?...And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts 10:46-48). Peter stated that "God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism..." (1 Pet. 3:20-21).

Though water covers much of the world, more than 97 percent is salty. Two percent of fresh water is locked in snow and ice, leaving one percent for us. Two-thirds of our water is used to grow food. Americans use about 100 gallons of water each day in their homes. Millions of the world's poorest populations subsist on fewer than five gallons of water per day. Forty-six percent of the people who live on this earth do not have water piped to their houses. Women in undeveloped countries walk an average of 3.7 miles to get water. Truly, we Americans are blessed! Some estimate that by the year 2025, 1.8 billion people will live where water is scarce. (These facts and figures were obtained from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, A Special Issue, WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD, April, 2010.)

As wonderful and essential as water is, let's consider the One who created it and gave it to us -- Jesus, the Son of God. The Bible tells us that He created all things -- "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16).

Now let's consider another kind of water that Jesus provides. While having a conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, Jesus told her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (Jn. 4:13-14). Just imagine -- never thirsting again, a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life! Jesus provides this for us by the giving of His life and our obedience to His gospel.

What a contrast! When we are thirsty and get a drink, we thirst again. This living water causes us to never thirst again. Later on, Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (Jn. 7:37-38). Thus, all the spiritual blessings that are provided "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3) are represented as "living water." And then, to think that this water flows in Heaven, "and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1).

Surely, we desire such water -- indescribable blessings, life everlasting in Heaven! It's even better than the legendary "fountain of youth." And it can all be ours if we will but simply come to Him believing, repenting of our sins, confessing our faith in Him, being baptized for the remission of our sins, and being faithful until death (Jn. 8:24; Lk. 13:3, 5; Matt. 10:32-33; Mk. 16:16; Rev. 2:10).

And, finally, consider this: Jesus invites us to drink of this water. "And the Spirit and the bride say 'Come!' And let him who hears say 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. And whosoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).

By R. J. Evans -- Via the bulletin for the Southside church of Christ in Gonzales, Louisiana, July 2014

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