₦airaland Forum

THE WATER

"Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again" (John 4:13). I do not know if you realize what thirst is. Once a ship was about to sink, and all the people on board ran to the small lifeboat. In this small boat, there was food, but no fresh water to quench their thirst. Although water was all around, they remained thirsty. Although water was on all sides of their small boat, they were still dying of thirst. Doctors know that thirst is more intolerable than hunger. Thirst is a desire unfulfilled, a request ungranted. Someone may say, "I have a hope, but it is not fulfilled," or "I have a wish, but it has not been realized. My mouth is thirsty."

The world has many good things. But even if it gives you the best thing, you will still be thirsty. The world has many beautiful things. But even if it gives you the most beautiful thing, you will still be thirsty. The world has many great things. But even if it gives you the greatest thing, you will still be thirsty. All that the world can give to you is temporary. If you drink it, you will still be thirsty. After drinking a cup of wine, you will want more to drink. After seeing a movie, you will want to see more movies. After attending a big feast, you will desire to eat again. After gaining a reputation, you will desire to have money. After you have money, you will desire to have a good family. After you have a good family, you will desire to have good children. After you have good children, you will desire to have a long life. Once you drink what the world gives you, you will still be thirsty. If you receive something from the world, it will only make you desire more the next time. The Lord says, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again." What kind of water is "this water"? "This water" is whatever the world can give to men. "This water" is the worldly things which temporarily satisfy a person. However, the world simply creates a bigger capacity within you; it causes you to drink and still want more to drink.

Some may think that as long as they can gain something in school or in business, they will be satisfied. But I must tell you that even if you gain something it will only be a temporary satisfaction; it cannot quench your thirst. You may have some desires and strong cravings to be satisfied. You may have a dream before you. But I must tell you that even if your dream comes true and your desires are fulfilled, you will not be satisfied; you will still dream and still say that there is a place within that is not yet satisfied. Friends, may we see that all things are vanity and will not quench our thirst after we drink them.

I had a friend who grew up in the same place as I did. He went through college and was the Chief of Police for one term. After he believed in the Lord, he went to testify to one of his former colleagues, a military person who had some power. When his colleague saw him with a plain cloth gown, he asked, "Are you happy?" He said, "Just look at me, and you will know that I am happy." His colleague said, "What about your wife and children?" He answered, "The Lord Jesus is the One thinking about them; He is the Lord." The colleague said, "Have you ever thought about what you will do for the rest of your life?" He said, "God is responsible for me for the rest of my life." His colleague marveled at him. Here was a person who had gone through college and had been the Chief of Police. After he had believed in the Lord, there was a peace within him which others did not have. When he departed, his old friend said to him, "I wish that I could drop all I have to get what you have." No political power can satisfy man, nor can an excellent position satisfy man. If there is any friend here who is not yet satisfied, I must tell you that everyone who drinks of the worldly water will thirst again. The worldly water can never satisfy you.

THE LIVING WATER

If anyone among us would like to be satisfied, I can tell you the way. The Lord Jesus said, "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water gushing up into eternal life" (v. 14). You will never thirst after you drink the water that the Lord gives you because the water will become a spring of water gushing up. Will this satisfy you for three or five days only? No, it will spring up into eternal life. This is what the Lord will give to us. Whatever comes from outside is of no use because anything that comes in from outside cannot satisfy us. Once you receive Christ, He will be in you a spring so that you will be satisfied every day. What we lack is the inward satisfaction.

One day someone went to a doctor and said to him, "I have lost all taste to live. I have lost all hope. What is wrong with me?" The doctor examined him and said, "You do not have any illness." He asked, "What shall I do?" The doctor answered, "You should look for some pleasures. Perhaps you should watch a comedy show more often. A comedian can make people laugh and be happy." The patient said, "I am a comedian. Although I can make other people laugh, I cannot make myself laugh." This is all that the world can offer to men.

Why is it that in the church someone can lose everything and still be happy? It is not because he had a good outward environment or that he lived a good life materially. It is because he has something satisfying within him—Christ. Some missionaries went to isolated islands to live with the natives. Sometimes they only received one letter from the outside world in a year. They should have suffered more loneliness than lighthouse keepers. How could they be happy? They could be happy because there was something within them which caused them to sing and say, "Hallelujah!" Although I do not know music, I want to sing; even though I cannot sing, I want to say, "Hallelujah!" I have said before that we do not love the world because we have lost our taste for it or because we are disenchanted with the world, like some old folks who no longer enjoy the worldly blessings because they have lived long in this world. Christians overcome the world because they have drunk enough and are full. What are the worldly things worth? Since Christ has satisfied our heart, we have left the world behind.

"The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water so that I will not thirst nor come here to draw" (v. 15). When the woman began to ask the Lord, did she understand what she was asking? She understood nothing at all. Even though she did not understand anything, did the Lord answer her request? He had to answer because He had said, "You would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (v. 10). Mr. Wilkes said, "The woman just asked once, and she received." This is true. Jesus did not say that one will have something when he understands in his mind. Rather, when one asks, according to the Lord's word, He has to give it to him.

"Then the woman left her waterpot and went away into the city, and said to the people, Come, see a man who told me all that I have done. Is this not the Christ?" (vv. 28-29). "Is this not" surely means that it is. Whenever a sentence begins with "is it not," the answer is surely affirmative. This shows that she had obtained the gift. Although she did not understand and did not know what she was asking for, she recognized that this man was the Christ. She was satisfied. Today many are weary and thirsty. But as soon as you believe in Him and ask Him, you will be satisfied.

O friends, the Lord Jesus can satisfy your heart and quench your desire for anything in the world. If you are willing to say to the Lord today, "Lord, I believe in You; I give myself to You," you will be saved. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the Lord's words shall not pass away. It is not important whether or not you can feel it. If you believe, it is enough. Believe first, and then the feelings will follow. You do not feel first and then believe. Peace and joy come after one believes. One does not believe after he has peace and joy.

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Wow, this is lovely.

delkuf:
Wow, this is lovely.

praise God happy Sunday

ichuka:
praise God happy Sunday

happy Sunday to you too

delkuf:
happy Sunday to you too

yeah also in advance

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