SARA DUBOSE|GUEST
Some women like to say, “I don’t sweat. I just glisten!” Well, I’m sorry to say, I don’t do either. My body simply refuses to sweat. That’s right. The medical term is anhidrosis. Sometimes I forget about this condition until . . . something happens.
We live in a neighborhood called Pine Forest so our house sits in the middle of a pine thicket along with other trees such as gum, oak, and magnolia. Now, one of my favorite poems from childhood is Trees by Joyce Kilmer, but I’ve learned trees can also be a problem; especially after a rainstorm.
So, several days ago I was determined to help my husband pick up the numerous limbs around our house. You guessed it. In the 98-100 degree temperature I soon became dehydrated. Since he was in another part of the 3 acre lot Bill didn’t hear my call. I staggered to the back porch swing and prayed he’d come before I passed out, or our new puppy tried to revive me with slobbering tongue.
When Bill did appear, he quickly saw the need and hurried inside for a glass of cold water. Now here is the ironic part of it all. Years ago Bill had installed an outdoor water fountain right there on our back porch. In fact, it’s a charming little fountain retrieved from a country school. Why didn’t I think of it? A flowing stream of water was right there ready and waiting!
It was several days before I made a spiritual application to this experience. The Scripture reading for that day was John 7. When I came to verses 37-39 the call of Jesus stood out as though in bold print. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, (the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (NIV).
At this point, Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people calling them to repentance and faith, but my mind jumped back to another time when he spoke words like these to one woman, the woman of Samaria. In John 4:10 he told her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asked you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Living water! What is this living water? In John 7: 39 the author tells us he meant the Spirit who would come to all believers after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This gift, purchased by the blood of Christ, meets our every need:
- Present satisfaction: Initially urging us to repent and believe the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, our living water, is like a flowing stream. This stream is always running and will completely cool and cleanse us. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
- Plentiful: Like a fountain, this stream will amply supply our thirst and flow over into the lives of others.
- Perpetual: The fountain of living water will never dry up, but will continue to be as strong as a stream; washing away our doubts and fears. The Holy Spirit will forever refresh, enliven and enable us to bear fruit.
On the last day of the Feast of Booths the Jews had a custom. They would fill a golden vessel with water, bring it into the temple, ascend to the altar and pour it out before the Lord as an expression of joy. Today, we have a far greater comfort and joy than a temporary container, or glass of water to remind us of God’s faithfulness. We have the very promise of Jesus who said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (v. 38).
It took an experience with dehydration to remind me of our water fountain. May I never forget to rely on my Savior who provides the fountain of life. Yes, a flowing stream of water is always available!
Sara DuBose is the author of five inspirational novels, scores of articles/stories, and appears in several anthologies. She is also the author of Be Anxious For Nothing: Finding Hope In A Hectic World published by CDM of the Presbyterian Church in America, and is designed for individual or group study. To review a chapter, click here. All of Sara’s books are also listed on Amazon.