Which Well?

Last week, I was teaching my cell group regarding thanksgiving. At the end of it, I made a comment that I've been devoting for some time ago, and I thought I should share it with you guys.

I am still reading Bill Hybel's "Just Walk Across The Room". And since my Bible reading is very slowly progressing, I still haven't get to the New Testament yet. But in this book, I read the part when Jesus was at a well (John 4). A Samaritan woman wanted to draw water out of a well, when Jesus asked her whether He could have some of the water. The Samaritan, being offended by talking with a Jew, was of course denying what Jesus asked for.

However, there's a turn of event. The conversation led to the Samaritan asking Jesus was water - the living water. And not only did she not take water out of the well, she left her water jug at the well and called everyone to meet Jesus (John 4:28).

You see, our soul is like a bottle. You can fill things with anything you want. Many people in the world are committed to dirty thoughts, porn, drugs, smoking, money, and anything which will satisfy them. Or so they thought...

Yes - these things can satisfy you. But do they truly satisfy you forever? Or will you crave more of it?

For example, money. You have many of those. But even the richest man in the world still craves for them. There is just something in materials that our body and soul just couldn't fill. Another literal example is alcohol. It'll just evaporate as you fill your bottle with it. Drink it, and one second later, you'll be as empty as you are in the previous second.

If you are filling your bottle with these materials, then what you are filling yourselves with is water from the "Earth Well". Like the Samaritan before she repented, you are continuously drawing water out of this well, filling yourself with something that will not satisfy your soul eternally. You always feel thirsty and keep wanting more of the "water".

But Jesus is offering a new water - the living water. This can only be taken out of a spiritual well - the "Jesus' Well". God has opened this well through Jesus, that whoever who is thirsty and drank out of this well will be quenched forever! Does it sound like something you want?

If so, you are like the Samaritan. The next thing you need to do is to ask where you can get this "living water" - where do you find this "Jesus' Well". It's easy to find the Well, and there are many locations too. Just to name some of them: Jesus' Well of Wisdom, Jesus' Well of Spirit, Jesus' Well of Strength, Jesus' Well of Worship, Jesus' Well of Strength, and there are so much more.

But of course, the well has its own source. The "Earth Well" comes from the ground. But the "Jesus' Well" comes from the Heaven - specifically the throne of our King. It is from the Father, Spirit and the Son that we can get this "Water". And all you have to do to obtain it is to pray and ask our God to pour it down on us.

However, be sure what you want. The Samaritan dropped her water jar right at the well. She gave up the "Earth water" completely. She realized that all she needs now is the living water - the Water from the Well of Jesus.

If you have a mixture of both, everywhere you go, you'll bring this mixture. And when you speak to people, you'll speak with a mixture of the Word of the Spirit with the word of the world. That's not really a repentance. That's a compromise.

I take an example from Samuel's blog. You are sick. And you decided to be faithful and prayed to God. But as soon as you said, "Amen," you looked for Panadol. You began justifying your "faithfulness" saying, "This is just a supplementary, just in case God didn't heal me," or "God put Panadol in this world... ...and it was good."

Then, I have one question: really, faithful? REALLY?

If God has poured down His healing power into your bottle, and you added a panadol into your bottle, wouldn't His medication be ruined then? When you ask God for something, never have your own input too. A pure soul that lives for God is much better than a compromising mixture of both waters.

Take an example of Jesus and His disciples in this chapter. His disciples was hungry, but Jesus responded them by saying that He has just eaten, when salvation was proclaimed! Jesus doesn't need "Earth food". Proclamation of salvation is enough to satisfy His cravings for "food", and that's all He needs/wants.

Also, trust me, when you ask God for this living water, God doesn't send a drop of Water, or a drizzle down on you. He'll send a rain down to fill your "bottle". The Water will overflow you.

"Rain down on me, Rain down on me. Here in Your presence I am free. Come pour down like rain. Come and touch me again. Lord, let Your presence fall on me."
- Lyrics of "Rain Down" by Planetshakers

I love this song because it calls God to pour Himself on you. What could be better than that? The bottle is filled with God's Holy Spirit Himself! And yes - He'll rain on you. He'll overflow! There'll be so much that you can't even contain it! How precious is the feeling? How great is His will in your life? That's when your soul will completely be satisfied.

He is only Water you'll even need. Come and take a sip if you don't believe! Just remember that He is inviting everyone to drink that water - the sweetest water that will quench your thirst forever!