Archive Home Page Listing By Titles Old Testament References New Testament References
Cross Symbol

ADD WATER AND STIR
Allow the flow of Living Water

A Commentary by Constance Vanides

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water." (Jeremiah 2:13)

"Save Mono Lake". I kept seeing the bumper sticker on cars and wondered why we needed to "save" a lake. I finally had the opportunity to view this body of water located in central California on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. No fish there, its shores are lined with strange formations.

Desolate was the word. Salty "towers" reminded me of Lot's wife. She had turned back to see the land of Sodom from where an angel rescued her, pulling her unwillingly along with Lot and their two daughters. Her disobedience caused her to be turned into a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

So, this was the famous Mono Lake! "Pillars of salt" and other odd shapes, called "tufa", are originally formed underwater, essentially of common limestone. This is what now graces the shores of the lake. Freshwater streams and underwater springs come into the lake but don't flow out. Since there is no outlet, the water has high concentrations of salt and other minerals which allows for only brine shrimp to inhabit the lake. Alkalinity makes life impossible for fish and humans.

I have a friend who lived in Oklahoma as a child. She remembers getting the family's water supply from rain which poured down from rooftop to rain barrel. The water was fresh and soft so long as rain continued to replenish what was in the barrel. As days became dryer, followed by drought with no fresh inflow, the water remaining in the barrel became stagnant. Children discovered "wiggly tails" swimming about! Although they were fun to watch, it meant the water was not fit to drink. No life from stagnant waters!

So it is with our spirits. We need the refreshing flow of Living Water, replenishing what has dried up. I need to go to the Source of the supply, Jesus Himself, who said to the Samaritan woman, "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying,'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.'" (John 7:37,38)

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;...And let your soul delight itself in abundance." (Isaiah 55:1, 2) That's the promise! And Jesus echos, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." (Revelation 21:6)

Finally, this touching scene from the book of Revelation: "...for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17)

I like knowing I will always have Living Water to fill me up!

 Christian Devotional Books Archive Home Page
TO ARCHIVE HOME PAGE
© Constance Vanides