Living in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, we usually experience much more than ‘the scent of water’ that Job mentions in Job 14:9.  Usually a gentle mist, but can be downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning(hardly enough of both for my taste!).   Rain–for a good part of the year(until mid-May when ‘good’ is no longer the operative word!).  Lots of water.  Rivers and lakes, full.  Towering mountains covered with snow like icing on a cake.  Not anything like the climate of either Job or Jesus.  Parched and hot for much of the year.   That ‘scent of water’ was always welcome in their land.

My wife and I travelled to Jordan to visit one of the amazing cities of the ancient world–Petra.  The picture always displayed of Petra is but one of its buildings, the ‘Treasury’.  Trust me–that’s but the tip of the iceberg.  No ice in Petra the day we visited.  Temperatures reached 120 degrees.  Oy vey, that’s broiling!  We brought lots of bottled water with us.  Seemed like we were carrying way too much.  Wrong!

We walked what seemed like a couple miles from where the tour bus let us off.  How in the world, or in Petra, could they ever build such structures using the primitive tools they must have had?  Today, the ‘smarties’ can’t figure out how.  But build they did!  We walked and climbed, drank every drop of water we had.  Not even a ‘scent of water’ left.  After we ditched our slow-poke, lazy tour guide, we had over five hours to tour Petra.  A pleasure… until thirst grabbed our necks and throats.  Felt like we were made of recycled cardboard.  Drank everything.  Never quenched.

Finally,  hiked back to the hotel where we had lunch.  Did we drink every drop of ice water that was placed in front of our dehydrated mouths?  Seemed like we downed gallons.  Later we ordered ice water from room service and they brought us a tub filled to the brim.  Consumed every last drop!

Will I ever get to John chapter 4?  Glad you asked!  This woman at the well is offered ‘living water'(4:10) by Jesus.  ‘Living water’ never runs out.  His well never dries up.  You’ll never thirst again(4:13).  Of course, Jesus is not referring to our bone-dry mouths, but to our relationship with Him.  ‘Drinking’ of Him, drawing nearby reading our Bibles,  praying and obeying Him, will help keep thirst at bay.  Our thirst for forgiveness, healthy relationships and salvation will all be quenched by Jesus.  He gives us more and more…of Himself.  Not only that scent of water.  Thirsty today?  Jesus offers ‘Living Water’!  Stay close to the source… to Him!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for ‘living water’.  For Jesus in all His abundance.  Amen.