Invitation to the Thirsty

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let

him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty,

let him come; and whoever wishes, let him

take the free gift of the water of life.

                             Revelation 22:17 NIV 

     Tired!  Dry mouth! Clammy skin! Aching head! No tears! Your body needs water—immediately! And without water the land becomes baked, arid, dehydrated and turns into a desert. Without adequate water, life ceases to exist.

     Last summer my husband and I planted tomatoes. The first tomatoes were large, red and juicy. However, by the time the second batch of blooms covered the plants, the summer sun baked the blossoms causing them to fall off without producing fruit. Living in the south central part of Texas means less than adequate rainfall, and for the past few years we have been in draught conditions. Although we watered from the chlorinated water supply that comes from our home, there was no fresh rainwater and the plants suffered.

     Our spirits face a similar dilemma. In John chapter four, Jesus explained to a woman coming to draw well water that “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again…”

     The well of life can leave you thirsting for something more. Fear, anxiety, stress, depression, grief and the grind of daily living can chase you to the brink of emotional dehydration and leave you feeling frustrated, angry and useless as circumstances clamor for more of your time, money and mental acuity.

     But Jesus offered the answer for the dehydrated soul; “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.”

     The living water, offered to the woman at the well, still flows for you and me today. It is pure, refreshing, life-giving water and the invitation to drink is extended to all through the Holy Spirit and the Church—the Bride of Christ. It is the gift of the water of life, and it is freely offered.

     Revelation 22:17 explains that if you have already taken a drink from the water of life, it is your responsibility to offer the invitation to come to those who are dying of thirst. Will you extend the invitation to the thirsty around you?

© Joyce Powell