How to Get Spiritually Fit - Part 7: Jacob's Well Versus Jesus' Well

REVIEW
 
I hope you’ve been getting a lot out of this, our current series, which is geared towards us getting spiritually fit. And let me reiterate to you just how important our spiritual development is – It’s absolutely vital, church! Just like we shouldn’t allow our physical bodies to spiral downward, not taking care of this, our temple of the Holy Spirit, we shouldn’t allow the eternal part of us to suffer either. Yes, as important as our physical condition is; this can’t compare to the condition of our inward man.
 
So what we have been doing is learning how we get our spirit man, the hidden man of our heart, in shape and healthy. And we are basing this on First Timothy 4:6-8 where the apostle Paul makes the comparison between physical nutrition & exercise and spiritual nutrition & exercise.  Again, these verses say, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
 
So if we are going to develop our inward man and get in shape spiritually, then we are going to have do certain things. And what we’ve learned is that the same way we get fit and in shape physically, that’s how we get fit and in shape spiritually. No, I’m not referring to these physical things like being nourished & exercising helping us spiritually. I’m referring to how there are certain spiritual practices that will both nourish our spirit and exercise those spiritual muscles.
 
So most recently, we have been looking at certain mentalities that we need to possess when entering this spiritual exercise. And last week we learned the importance of setting various goals – everything from the outcome goals to the process goals that get us to the ultimate outcome.   
 
We learned that the outcome goal of Christianity is to finish & win our race, to receive the crown of righteousness, and get inducted into God’s hall of fame! But the process goal that gets us there is Christlikeness. Yes, becoming more like Jesus in the way we think, in the way we speak, in the way we act, etc. is what will bring us to our ultimate goal. 
 
This is why I call being like Jesus the goal above every goal – because if we adopt the same mentality as Him, we will receive the end of our faith and that crown of righteousness at the finish line. Amen! 
So now that we have covered some of the important mindsets when entering exercise, let’s start looking at some of the more practical things – things that any good personal trainer or fitness expert would tell you as you get into working out …
 
THE IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION
 
Now as we head into some of the more practical things, it’s important to understand that there are some parts to fitness that are relatively unknown to the average person. And one of these things that most of those who desire to exercise are ignorant of is the importance of hydration – before, during, and after working out.
You see, our bodies need fluid to keep functioning, and that’s especially true during exercise. Without refilling the water we lose while working out and other rigorous exercise, we could experience symptoms of dehydration, such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, and excessive thirst. It’s even possible to have a heat stroke if we do not properly hydrate ourselves. 
You see, drinking enough water keeps the body hydrated, which helps the heart more easily pump blood through the body. So if you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. It also helps muscles work efficiently.
Did you know that your body weight is made up of 60% water, with your muscles consisting of 75% water? And when you exercise, you shed that fluid through sweat. Therefore, not replacing those fluids can negatively impact your performance in several ways. Therefore, maintaining proper fluid levels is vital because it:
a)    Maintains body temperature. When you work out, your body temperature rises. So one way to stop your body from overheating is by sweating. Therefore, if you aren’t producing enough sweat, your body cannot cool down.
b)   Boosts endurance. Water flushes your body with the nutrients it needs to keep going. Without it, your energy lags, your muscles cramp, and you’ll cut your workout short. So if you want to exercise longer, you need to drink plenty of water.
c)    Keeps you focused. Dehydration also affects your brain, leaving you foggy and unable to concentrate. So when you lose focus because of dehydration, your athletic performance can suffer.
d)   Speeds recovery. Are you feeling tired and a bit achy after a workout? That’s normal. But drinking water after exercise helps you recover faster and prepare for the next workout.
So it’s rather obvious that hydration is important when it comes to exercise. But again, there are so many who are simply ignorant of this and, therefore, don’t properly hydrate themselves when exercising.
Well, do you figure that it’s any different with spiritual exercise? I “drink” not! No, the fact is, just as ignorant as some people are of the importance of proper physical hydration, there are plenty of Christians who are ignorant of just how vital being spiritually hydrated is.
So what is this spiritual hydration? Well, it’s not a question of “what” it is as much as it’s a question of “Who” it is! You see, didn’t the Lord Jesus Himself compare Himself to being the One who would satisfy our every thirst on multiple occasions? He sure did!
One of our more popular passages of Scripture is found in John 7:37-39 where we are told – “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.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
So in verse 37, by addressing anyone who thirsts, He is essentially referring to those who are spiritually dehydrated. And church, this is certainly a very real condition! In fact, until someone comes to Jesus and drinks from the water that only He can give, they remain permanently dehydrated. They might not realize it, but this truly is everyone’s condition who has not come to Christ.
However, I personally don’t believe the “drink” part is automatic just because one has been born again and has their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. No, we might have once “drunken” from Christ, but there is a daily “going back to the well” that we all need to experience in order to abide or remain spiritually hydrated.
Notice that Jesus went on to describe this hydration as the promise of the Holy Spirit. Well, the Holy Spirit also isn’t just a one-time experience either. Sure, we might have been filled with the Lord’s waters of life, but the Scriptures speak about many subsequent refilling’s of the Spirit to stay full of this life-giving water. Amen?
So my point is that we have to continually come to the Lord Jesus and drink from the water that only He and His Spirit can provide. Just like you won’t be properly hydrated by only drinking something on Sunday but not on the other six days of the week, we need to realize that in order to remain spiritually hydrated, we must drink, drink, and keep on drinking.    
THE WATER WHO WAS, IS, AND EVERMORE SHALL BE
This same principle holds true when it comes to hydrating ourselves in the physical, doesn’t it?
You see, how much fluid we need depends on several things – our body weight, the temperature wherever we are exercising, the intensity of the workout, etc. So while everyone is different, these general guidelines should keep you and I hydrated as we work out:
Before our workout – Pre-hydration is important to keep our fluid levels in balance as we exercise. It’s recommended that we drink between 16 to 20 ounces of water two to three hours before our workout, and then eight to 10 ounces within a half-hour prior.  I’ve seen the importance of this because if you don’t properly hydrate well in advance, cramping and other symptoms of dehydration can hit you before you know it and then you’re just simply trying to treat the dehydration after it’s too late. 
During our workout – They say that to replace lost fluids, we should drink between 7 to 10 ounces for every 20 minutes of exercise that we do. Rehydrating in the middle of exercising is absolutely vital for the quality of our current workout.
After our workout –  You could shed two quarts or more of fluid after a workout. To gain that fluid back, we are told to drink a minimum of eight ounces immediately following your workout. I’ve found that my body tends to continue sweating well after I exercise because my body heat is apparently still high. Therefore, it’s important for someone like myself to continue to drink plenty of water well after exercising.
So this pretty much sounds like we need to be sure to hydrate ourselves at all times, right? At the beginning of the day, in the middle of the day, and at the end of the day.
Well, Jesus is called the One was “was, is, and evermore shall be” right? He’s the same yesterday, today, and forevermore, huh? Then it shouldn’t surprise us that he is important for us in the morning, during the day, and in the evening.
Now the pre-workout from a spiritual standpoint would be maybe the time we spend with Him first thing in the morning – before our day even gets started. King David said, “Early in the morning, I will seek you” (See Psalm 63:1).
This is what many consider to be the best time to drink from that well because when we give God the first fruits of our day, we are showing that He is our priority. And when we spiritually hydrate ourselves first thing, we can tackle our day with more spiritual energy.
Then during the workout part of hydration would be that constant communication aspect of a relationship. What I’m referring to is the day in and day out part of our spiritual exercise where we must learn to remember Him through the hustle & bustle of life.
You see, just as it’s easy to get so wrapped up in our exercise routine and to forget to take a swig of that water from time to time, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our everyday lives and doing the “work of the ministry” and forget the importance of our personal relationship with Him.
And finally, the after the workout part of hydrating would be maybe closing our day drinking from the waters of life. This might be spending a few minutes in prayer before we get in the bed or reading the Bible just before we go to sleep. This time is also important because if we don’t fill our minds with Him at the end of the day, it can actually affect how well we rest at night. 
So there’s never a part of the day that drinking from the waters that He provides isn’t important. Amen? It’s Jesus in the morning, Jesus in the afternoon, and Jesus when the sun goes down! Jesus is a good idea all day long!
LEARNING TO GO TO THE WELL
 
Now John chapter 4 contains one of our best examples we have of Jesus being the source of our spiritual hydration. So let’s look at this story, beginning in verse 3 …
 
Our story starts in John 4:3-6 with – “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.”
 
So I want you to notice that this story begins in Samaria at a well – namely, Jacob’s well.
So in verse 6, we see that Jesus became “wearied.” This word describes one becoming tired, exhausted, or fatigued.
 
Some might find this strange that Jesus, the Son of God, actually got tired and fatigued at times. Well, that’s just because people do not understand that He was not operating out of His divine power. No, He walked on this earth as a man, and as a physical man, Jesus would get exhausted at times like we all do. So, in this case, being wearied from His journey, Jesus needed some rest and some water. So John tells us that He “sat thus by the well.”
 
Here’s the lesson I see in this for us: It’s important that when we feel weary in this Christian journey that we learn to sit by the well. In fact, as we learned earlier – we don’t need to wait till we feel weary to drink from that well. Oftentimes, that is when it is too late. Visiting “Jacob’s well” is a good idea to do before, during, and after our spiritual exercise.
 
But my point is, just like we would never neglect stopping by the gas station to “fill’r up” or plugging our device in to recharge the battery, we need to know that learning to sit by the well and have a drink is how we recharge our spiritual battery and fill our spiritual tank up. If we neglect doing this, we will most certainly run out of gas and not have the power to do what the Lord has called us to.
 
JACOB’S WELL VS. JESUS’ WELL
 
So as Jesus stopped at this “gas station,” another person entered this story:
 
John 4:7-15 goes on to tell us, “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’ ”
 
So here we have the meat of the story – Jesus revealing to this woman that He had water to give that the water of Jacob’s well could not hold a candle to.
 
We see this Samaritan woman coming to draw water from the well where Jesus was resting. So because of the racial & religious prejudices of their day, when Jesus asked her to give Him a drink, she was floored that a Jew would ask a drink from a Samaritan woman.
 
You see, we need to understand that the Lord does not pay attention to the outward appearance like we do. He looks at heart and is willing to drink from or pour through any cup, no matter what color that cup is. We would be wise that if we were in a desert and were thirsty not to say, “I don’t drink from black cups” or “I don’t drink from white cups” or “I don’t drink from pink cups.” If you are thirsty, it would behoove you to drink from whatever cup is available. If He chooses to use a Jew or a Gentile, a male or a female, a barbarian or a Scythian, we drink from that cup! Amen!
 
So Jesus steered her prejudiced attitude away from who she was and who He was after the flesh and told her that if she knew the gift of God who was before her and would ask, He would give her living water.
 
Of course, she didn’t know what He was referring to because her mind immediately went to the fact that Jesus had nothing to draw water from Jacob’s well with. In other words, she thought that the water He was saying that He would give her was coming from a similar source like Jacob’s well. But we know that Jesus was referring to Himself! So might we say that Jesus was saying that He has His own well – Jesus’ well? – and that well contains living water.
 
She asked Jesus – “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” And the obvious answer to that question is – Yeah! He absolutely is greater than the Patriarch, Jacob, being the One who outwrestled him. So yes, Jesus’ well is certainly greater than Jacob’s well!
 
Now wells are repeatedly seen in Scripture as places of provision, and not just of the water that the well possesses but other things: A couple of examples of this are the story of Abraham’s servant discovering Rebekah for Isaac at a well (See Genesis chapter 24) and the story of Moses when settling in the land of Midian, when he sat by a well and there met the seven daughters of priest of Midian which included his future wife.
 
So we can see that special relationships were provided at these various wells. And that is what I believe Jesus was trying to point this Samaritan woman towards – that He is that relationship that she had spent a good portion of her life searching for. This will be a theme that is echoed here at Jacob’s well.
 
ABSOLUTELY SATISFIED
 
So Jesus’ response to her question is so profound. He tells this woman (and us as well) – “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
 
So what Jesus was saying here is that when we come to Him and drink the water that He has to offer, we will never thirst again. Why? Because of what it will do in us – providing a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
 
You see, people do not realize it, but a lot of the habitual practices in our lives are a result of a thirst that is always in search of being satisfied. People turn to all kinds of things to satisfy their thirst, but the truth is – only Jesus can satisfy that thirst! Only our personal connection with Him can fill us up and make us satisfied and content.
 
I like to look at it this way: Every one of us has been created like a puzzle, and there is one large piece right in the middle of us (our heart) that only one thing will fit. And that one missing piece can only be fulfilled by Jesus Christ!
 
You see, the world tries to cram everything from sex, drugs, success, and family into that void, but none of those things can totally fulfill them. Sure, they might have some temporary happiness when they gratify those lusts or desires for natural things, but it does not bring them that everlasting contentment that I am talking about.
 
But this is not just true for the world! Even believers can digress in their Christian walk to where they attempt to satisfy themselves with the things of this world instead of through their personal relationship with the Lord. I am not saying that they have lost their relationship with Jesus altogether; I am just saying that we can walk in the flesh like the world, and when we do, our desires will be for natural and carnal things above spiritual things. In other words, when we walk in the flesh we will try and fulfill ourselves through relationships, recreational activities, financial success, etc.
 
You see, when we are abiding in Christ, and He in us, the ups and downs of this life will not dictate our joy and peace. We will not feel like we have to have something more or something better to be happy because we know that we are right in the middle of God’s perfect will for our lives which is, in communion with Him!
 
An example I can use from my own life is with relationships: During the times where I have walked in the flesh one of the main things that I tried to fulfill that void with was with other people. For example, when I was abiding in the Lord and He had preeminence in my heart I did not have to be on the phone talking to someone all the time. I did not have to be hanging out with my friends and family constantly. The reason was because my relationship with God was where it needed to be, so I was not trying to fulfill myself with the relationships of my friends and family. I was content in the acceptance and goodness of my Lord and did not need the acceptance of my friends, co-workers, and family. Not only that, but I was also content with my single life. I was not driven to find a girlfriend because my focus was on the Lord and not on the opposite sex. I was simply content with my relationship with the Lord and was willing to wait on the Lord to bring my wife to me!
 
Again, if Jesus is on the throne of your heart, you will not be dominated by these natural desires. Now, don’t misunderstand me! I am not saying that if you have desires for anything in this world other than the Lord that you are not abiding in Him. I am just saying that if you are fully abiding in Him then those desires for something you do not already have will not dictate your joy and peace, and will not drive you. They will not cause you to feel discontent when you are not experiencing fulfillment in those areas. You will not be bent on finding fulfillment through natural things. You will simply be satisfied with Jesus! Nothing more and nothing less!
 
The Scriptures have a lot to say about this principle but let me share with you one very powerful passage that echoes what the Holy Spirit is teaching us today – Psalm 36:8-9.
 
In the beginning of verse 8, David says, “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of your house...” The “they” being referred to are the ones that draw near to God in faith (See verse 7). And what does he say is the benefit of drawing near to Him? They are “abundantly satisfied with the fullness of God’s house!” You see, in the Old Testament the “house of God” was symbolic of the “presence of God.” So the way David says that we become abundantly satisfied (i.e. content) is by abiding in the fullness of God’s “presence.”
 
In Psalm 16:11 David put it this way – “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” If you want to be full of joy and abundantly satisfied, then learn to abide in the fullness of God’s presence! You could say, “The more of His presence you are abiding in, the more content and satisfied you will be!” There is no substitute for His presence! It brings fullness of joy, peace, contentment, and satisfaction! The only reason (yes, I say that as an absolute) that we ever become discontent is because we are not drawing our strength for that contentment from the presence of Christ. If we ever feel like we “need” anything other than Christ, then we are showing signs of this discontent condition that we have discussed. 
 
The rest of verse 8 says, “And you give them drink from the river of your pleasures.” You see, true satisfaction comes from nothing else but being close to Lord, drinking from His well of salvation. He alone can satisfy our deepest needs, not a spouse, a job, or a hobby just as water is the only thing that can satisfy us when we truly thirst. There is no substitute for Christ like there is no substitute for water!
 
Then notice what verse 9 says- “For with You is the fountain of life; In your light we see light.” David goes on to say that it is only being with Him (i.e. in His presence) that you can experience the fountain of life – that is, the life of God continuously flowing through your very being making you satisfied and content. He also said that in His light (i.e. “in His presence” – because God is light) we see light. In other words, when we are in His presence, we can see more clearly. Our perspective will change. The things we used to think were important and that we had to have will no longer be our focus. We will be able to see what is important with an unclouded perspective and realize that all we need is the Lord in our life. We do not need anything or anybody; all we need is Jesus! He is the secret to being completely content and abundantly satisfied!
 
So our lesson is this – Learn to draw your strength and satisfaction from pursuing a relationship with Christ! Know that if you ever feel you have to have anything other than His presence and those wanton desires are causing you to lose your joy and peace, you need to check the condition of your fellowship with Him. Plug into your power source through spending time with the Lord and watch how abundantly satisfied you become.
 
Church, this is how we quench that thirsting that’s in our heart. It’s by learning to come to Jesus and drinking from the waters that only He has to satisfy our heart. Amen?  
 
BROKEN CISTERNS
 
So Jesus’ words about never thirsting again sounded like a pretty good deal to this Samaritan woman, right? Therefore, she responded in verse 15 with – “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
 
And then Jesus responds with something rather interesting – Jesus says in verse 16, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” And, of course, this prompts the whole conversation of whether she currently had a husband and how many husbands she had had (See John 4:16-19).
 
Now a lot of times, we make the mistake of thinking this story changed gears here when Jesus went from this conversation of having this living water to addressing this woman’s marriage history. But what we need to understand here is, Jesus was showing this woman by the fruit of her life how she needs this water so that she will not thirst again.
 
You see, as we’ve alluded to already, some people turn to all kinds of natural things to satisfy that thirst. This Samaritan woman had obviously tried to satisfy that thirst with men. Yes, she was looking for her contentment and happiness in a relationship with the opposite sex. And this resulted in what? Five failed marriages!
 
Now I understand that there are several legitimate reasons for divorce like unfaithfulness, abuse, etc. but if we were being honest, those are not the number one reason for failed marriages. No, we don’t need a national survey to tell us that the number one cause of divorce is this very thing – people looking for happiness, contentment, and satisfaction in their spouse when the only way to fulfill that thirst is in Christ alone. In other words, countless men & women are looking for a spouse to do for them what only Christ can do for them.     
 
You see, this is what the Bible refers to as “broken cisterns” …
 
In Jeremiah 2:13 the Lord revealed such an important truth for us to understand- particularly regarding where we put our expectations. He said, “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.”
 
You see, in Bible times, a cistern was an artificial reservoir that was dug into the earth or carved into rock for collecting and storing water. Israel has a long dry season with relatively few natural springs, so catching winter rain in cisterns was very important. Fresh water was extremely valuable, so a broken cistern was practically worthless. Cracked rock or crumbling masonry could hold only a small amount of dirty water – or maybe no water at all. 
 
But while constructing an artificial spiritual reservoir was bad enough, rejecting water from the life-giving Spring was tragic! Imagine a very thirsty person in a parched land, ignoring a bubbling spring of cool water, only to hack out a cistern in the blazing sun hoping to collect some rainwater!
 
Without a natural spring nearby, a cistern would be the best thing you could do. If you were unaware of a nearby spring, at least you could be pitied for your diligent efforts to try to collect some water. But if you did know that there was a fresh spring available, and you deliberately turned your back to build a cistern, you’d be incredibly foolish. 
 
So God’s case against Israel in Jeremiah chapter 2 was that they had forsaken their God in favor of other gods. He said that this was unprecedented, even amongst other nations (vs.11). But before we are quick to condemn Israel, we need to understand that we do this same thing all the time …
 
Now while most of us do not consciously reject Him and choose other gods to worship, we still do this through our actions. We choose “cisterns” that are broken and are unable to hold water in an attempt to obtain satisfaction and meet our needs when they simply cannot. These broken cisterns can be anything from relationships, hobbies, careers, possessions - namely, anything natural that we put first in our lives and put our hope in. When we do this, we will find that none of these things can truly satisfy us or give us joy.
 
The 17th chapter of Jeremiah tells us that we are cursed when we make flesh our strength and when our trust is in man. It also says that when our heart departs from the Lord like this, we become like a shrub in the desert that is never satisfied (vs.5-6). On the other hand, verses 7-8 say that when we trust in the Lord and our hope is in Him we are like a tree whose roots will be spread out by the river where there is a constant flow of water both to keep our leaves green and to provide a continuous harvest of fruit. And verse 13 goes on to say that God is that fountain of living waters - identifying Him the same way as Jeremiah 2:13.      
 
So when our hope is in the Lord, we are looking to Him to meet our needs; we are placing all of our expectancy in Him and not in other people or things. You see, when our hope is in these other things, we are looking to them to draw our happiness, contentment, satisfaction, and strength from. We do not consciously know we are doing this, but we are actually making these things “idols” because we are putting our hope in these things rather than in the One True and Living God.
 
But the good news is found in Isaiah 55:1-2: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.”
 
In these verses, the Lord is proclaiming the gospel to us! He is telling us that if we want to be truly satisfied and fulfilled, just come to Him! If we want our soul to delight itself in abundance, just draw near to Him! This abundant satisfaction for our souls is free! It is freely available by grace! All we need to do is to turn our lives fully over to Him and make Him our all in all.
 
Now He basically asks the question in verse 2 – Why do we spend money on things that do not satisfy when He, the fountain of living waters, is free? But we do this all of the time, don’t we? We spend all kinds of money, time, and energy on these broken cisterns that could never hold water in the first place! Sure, they might temporarily seem able to hold water, but eventually that water will drain out of those cracks, and we will thirst again.
 
This can certainly be reflected in what we choose to drink when exercising, can’t it? I’ve even seen that when some people are out doing some arduous physical exercise or are working outside, that they will choose to hydrate themselves with sodas, coffee, etc.
 
I for one, didn’t realize for a long time that when I would go out and sweat profusely, that it wasn’t always best to simply drink water because our bodies tend towards just sweating it out and it doesn’t have the opportunity to truly rehydrate our bodies. That’s why they say that we need electrolytes in what we drink so that our bodies can properly assimilate what it needs to rehydrate.
 
So, I see this as practically important with spiritual things because how many people out there are thirsty spiritually but are turning to all kinds of other things to satisfy that thirst? Yes, we turn to all kinds of things to satisfy that spiritual thirst that only the LORD Himself can satisfy.
 
In fact, I’ve seen one of the greatest keys to weight loss being the simple decision to change what we drink. Things like carbonated drinks that contain a lot of sugar seem to just swell us up as bad as anything that we eat.
 
Friends, it is time we truly understand that God is the fountain of living waters and turn to Him for our joy, satisfaction, and contentment! His is an unending flow of life-giving water as opposed to those man-made cisterns that only temporarily hold water! Let’s go to the source of that living water today – that river whose streams shall make glad the city of God (Psalm 46:4)!