Imagine that you are living in a dirty, polluted city. (Probably like Manila, a hundred times worse). But near your home, is a water fountain, always gushing out fresh spring water. It is free flowing, inexhaustible, clean and cool. It is very, very accessible. So, you enjoy the fountain, you enjoy the water. You keep coming back to the water. (It is free anyway!) It refreshes you and your whole family. It gives strength and energy to your life. Because it is the best water in the world, and there is none like it, you will never, ever choose any other water source or any other drink except the spring water from this fountain. You enjoy it so much, you tell other people about the wonderful qualities of the water. Soon, more and more people come to enjoy the water. This makes the water fountain very, very valuable. This is good, because soon, the water fountain will transform the dirty and polluted city into a cleaner city.
Do you know that in the Bible, God pictures Himself as a mountain spring of clean, cool, life-giving water? (John 4)
Your relationship with God should be like example of the fountain of spring water described above. We do live in a disturbing and dirty world whose priorities and values are different from the standard imposed by our Creator. By the abundant grace of God, we are given the water of life – Jesus Christ. We should enjoy this water and enjoy sharing the water of life with our family and friends. This is what God commands us to do.
And yet, why is it that we often look for other sources of water? Other sources of happiness? Other fountains can only provide temporal, fleeting happiness. Why do we put our trust in money, possessions, positions, titles and worldly pleasures? Do you know that it is a sin if you prefer the other fountains rather than the life-giving water of God?
Without God and a life of intimate fellowship and dependence on Him, our soul becomes like a desert, a parched land. The sad thing is if you keep indulging in other fountains, you will not even realize that you are already dehydrated to the point of sickness and death.
It is time to evaluate our lives and recognize the One True source of life-giving water. May we be like the Psalmist (Psalm 42:1) who says “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” And if we do so, Jesus has promised that we will be blessed, for “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
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