The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Never Thirst Again" for Friday, 11 November 2016 with Scripture: John 4:10-14

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Never Thirst Again" for Friday, 11 November 2016 with Scripture: John 4:10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew God’s gift, that is, who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink of water,’ then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water.”
11 She said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle.” 13 Yeshua answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!”
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Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[John 7:38 (NIV)]
On a day trip, we stopped in a small village. Our children asked why we were there. “Let’s go get a drink,” we said. They thought we would buy soft drinks at the neighborhood store, but we surprised them.
Just past the store, on a concrete slab, was a pipe coming out of the ground. Water bubbled out of it in a steady stream. Each child drank from the pipe while the others giggled and expressed surprise. “Where does it come from?” they asked.
We explained that an underground spring had been tapped and a pipe put in place so that everyone could enjoy the supply of fresh, cold water.
Jesus promised that those who believed in him would possess streams of living water. His promise meant that in the future, believers would be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we drink living water from Christ, we are filled and satisfied — overflowing with the Spirit of eternal life.
Though our underground spring may one day dry up, the Holy Spirit is an everlasting source of refreshment. Because of our faith in Jesus, we can always be sure of the promise of living water.
Read more from the author, here."Water Is Life"

Water played a big part in helping our children enjoy the outdoors. In addition to introducing them to the concept of water from a spring, we took them to various places where water flowed.
A favorite spot was the Little Muskegon River. The boys walked down the trail, which wound its way east from Rustford Pond, and fished off the bridge. The girls found places to play and have "picnics" with their dolls.
Rivers move and are never the same. The music they make as the water travels over rocks and felled trees creates an atmosphere of serenity. I’m not sure the kids felt the serenity the same way we adults did, but they asked repeatedly to return to the river.
We also camped on the backwaters of the big Muskegon River at High Rollway. Deep in the woods, we’d cook over an open fire built from wood the children gathered. They were glad for the errand. Food for them tasted better cooked outdoors. (It does, doesn’t it?)
We camped in tents. We heard lively campers on other campsites whooping and laughing. Finally, it became silent except for the whooshing of wind through the trees all around us. Early mornings, we heard the conversations of men fishing in the backwaters of Hardy Dam. From the water below the high ground on which we were situated, we could pick out the “splash!” of a fish leaping into the air and landing back home. We needed no alarm clock; God provided one.
We have photos of visits to Lake Michigan as well. Such cold water. Such big waves we could chase if we dared.
Even the small town we lived in was situated on a lake with an island. A row boat trip to the island was a special treat when we discovered a nest built by Canada geese. The kids were thrilled.
Years pass, children grow up, and water seems to still be an attraction. My son never stopped fishing. Rod or reel, he managed to get the whole family involved. A favorite photo I share with friends is Rich, his wife, son and daughter standing in the river. Each one in a pair of waders, they’re all smiles, cradling a big salmon my daughter-in-law caught. I tell people it’s the Geister family in their natural habitat.
The city I currently live in has within its boundaries a lake with two islands. My apartment is only a stone’s throw from the Kalamazoo River. A small pond where families go to feed the ducks and geese is situated across from the hospital. I couldn’t be happier.
God gave us a special gift in every body of water. Whether it’s a river, moving forever on to the sea; a lake, big or small; the vast oceans; or an underground spring; water is life--for us and creation.
My life has been enriched because I could experience swimming in, canoeing down, watching, listening to, and slurping up the waters I’ve visited in Michigan. The most significant experience of course is the living water from the Lord. Yes, indeed, water is life.[Paula Geister, Pictured above: Paula and her son, Rich, at Fantasy Forest in Battle Creek, Michigan, Check out Paula's blog: http://paulageister.com.]
The Author: Paula Geister (Michigan, USA)
Thought for the Day: God is a constant source of refreshment.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to be a source of refreshment to those who are in need of your love. Amen.
Prayer focus: THOSE WITHOUT CLEAN WATER

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