Not Just For Our Benefit: Being An Artesian Well

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink’” (John 7:37).

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ … Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:10, 13-14).

This spring of water is an artesian well, a flowing well, welling up to eternal life. Welling up has a sense of “leaping up.” This well provides living water in quality and abundance so that streams of living water will flow from within the Christian.

Notice in both texts that the person does not drink from this well. He does not have the well until after he drinks. “Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring ... If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

This well of the Holy Spirit flowing from us is not just for our benefit. Having drunk the living water that Jesus gives us, we become a source of living water for others.

Are you a flowing well of living water?

This post coordinates with the #SamePageSummer Bible Reading Challenge. Join the challenge here - we'd love to have you reading with us!
Written August 1993.

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