Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Fully and Forever Satisfied

"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 4:14)

There is matchless music in these words of Jesus. They are words that held a fascination for me like almost no other utterance of our Lord. They seemed to me like a marvelous strain of music from some far away, heavenly world. And as I came to understand their meaning and to experience for myself the great truth they set forth, there was in them a preciousness that I cannot put into words.

Jesus spoke these words to the Samaritan woman when he was extremely weary and thirsty. Desiring to draw her into spiritual life, Jesus pointed down to Jacob's ancient well and said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again" (vs. 13). And how true it is of every earthly fountain of satisfaction or joy; no matter how deeply one drinks, he soon thirsts again. Drink as deeply as you will of the fountain of wealth, you are not satisfied long. Drink of worldly fame or honor or power, but how long will you be content? Drink of worldly pleasures, you will soon want to drink again, only deeper next time. Drink as deeply as you will of the fountain of human knowledge, science, philosophy, literature, music, or art, and you will thirst again. Yes, drink even of that most nearly divine of all human fountains, the fountain of human love, and you soon thirst again. Not one of these things fully satisfies, neither do they satisfy for long.

Then our Lord added the wonderful words that if you drink of the water He gives, the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39), you will be fully and forever satisfied. I wish that you would sit and ponder these words in silence until their full meaning and full force take entire possession of your mind and heart. Anyone who really receives the Holy Spirit as an indwelling presence will be fully and forever satisfied, and that is the only possible way to be fully and forever satisfied.

Lord Jesus, only You can speak this amazing promise and make the words credible to our hearts. I know something of how unsatisfying it is to drink of this world's fountains. But only You can make real the promise that the Spirit of God can make me fully and forever satisfied. I come to You for this living water. Amen

~R. A. Torrey~

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