Not Just Any Water
March 24, 2020
Water.
No human can live more than 4 days without it.
We need water to sustain our lives. But not just
any water.
In 2003 we moved to the eastern shore of MD to a house
on the water. We love God’s beauty on display in the sunsets
over the Chesapeake Bay, but we know better than to make the Bay
our drinking water.
In John 4, we read about a time when Jesus shared his need for
water with a woman at a well in Samaria. Soon He reveals that He knows
that she has a history of failed relationships that eventually
left her all alone – even that day talking to Jesus.
So when Jesus offered her “living water so she would never thirst again,”
she wanted to know more! (John 4:13-14 NIV)
Sometimes it takes an unexpected circumstance to finally show us
we’ve been drinking from a well that will never satisfy our thirst.
What Jesus offered the Samaritan woman, he later offers to all, saying, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture
has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he
meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
(John 7:37-39a NIV)
We may have lost our routines, our jobs, our social contacts, our financial stability, and even our regular Sunday church to attend during this unexpected global pandemic.
But if we know Jesus, we have His life-giving Spirit living within us and His promise to forever satisfy our thirst.
Answer these questions.
How would you initially describe your greatest loss and your greatest gain during this coronavirus threat?
What does this say about what you have depended upon for your stability, security, safety or significance?
How has God met you during this season?
Make this promise your prayer to the Lord.
“The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring
whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11
How can we apply this to our lives?
Although we can’t enjoy a Simply Retreat with others during this time of social distancing, we can personally practice enjoying life in the Spirit by these simple next steps.
Next Steps -
1. Choose a time every day to read from the Bible. Start by reading a short section in the Gospel of John or choose a devotional plan from the You Bible app.
2.Try reading in The Message version or a translation new to you.
3.Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally from God’s Word.
4. Pray for yourself and ask others how you can pray for them.
5. Look for practical ways to love and serve others.
6. Journal what God shows you and how He uses you during this time.
If you’d like to join a Zoom call on Tuesday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m., I’d love for us to retreat together and share how God is working in our lives during this time. Here’s the link for you to go to join us.
https://zoom.us/j/756445188?pwd=MVlzamJsNkMvZlZUSEZPSU8zTTFkUT09 Meeting ID: 756 445 188 Password: 597297.
Also, if you’d like to be entered into a drawing for a Free Half-Day Simply Retreat this summer, click on the Contact link (web header) with your name, email, and comments.
Keep watching for more Simply Retreat updates!
In Christ alone,
Janet Graves, Founder and Director of Simply Retreat
