DRINKING THE WATER OF LI FE

Morning Meditations 10/14/14

Our meditation this morning will be John 4:14: “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Jesus is talking to this adulterous woman about salvation. He teaches her that He is the source of salvation and uses’ Jacob’s well and water as an illustration. He says to her, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” The word “drinketh” (pino) means, according to Strong, “to drink; figuratively, to receive into the soul what serves to refresh

strengthen, nourish it unto life eternal.” It is a verb and is an aorist active subjunctive. The aorist tense means to take one drink. The active voice is the voice of volition which means the woman must decide and act. Drinking must take place. The subjunctive mood is potential. The water of life was there for her taking..

The words “shall give” is a future tense. It is future from the standpoint of the offer that has not been received yet. He stands ready to give. The words “shall never thirst” (dipsao) means “to suffer from thirst and is an aorist active subjunctive. The aorist tense refers to a point of time. The subjunctive mood is potential. The negative “never” is actually a translation of three words. The word “eis” means “into or unto.” The word “oume” means “never, certainly not, not at all, by no means.” The word “aion” means “unbroken ages, or, for eternity.”

He is saying that there will never, certainly not and by no means into or unto (eis) the unending ages (aion) will there ever be the potential (subjunctive mood) that at any point of time (aorist tense) that he who takes one drink will suffer from thirst. What a beautiful verse!!!

The words “But the water that I shall give him” continues to identify this water as a gift from Him. The words “shall be in him” translate (ginomai) a word that means “to become or begin to be.” This water flow has a beginning but no end. The words “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” picture this as an artesian well with unending supply. The words “everlasting life” identify what the water represents.

Jesus deals with a sinful woman about her eternal soul and makes her the greatest offer that has ever been made to any person. Jesus offers her eternal life. He tells her if she takes one drink of the water that He will give her, she will no longer thirst and the tiring journey to the well will never have to be made again. She took the drink. Amen. Her thirsty soul was forever satisfied. She never thirsted again. How do I know? Because Jesus said she wouldn’t. We walk by faith.

I have also taken that drink. I have never thirsted for that water since I was a nine-year-old boy. My own ignorance and experience have caused me to think I was thirsty for this water again. For instance, when the Lord was calling me to preach, I could not imagine that I was being called to preach. I interpreted the urging in my soul as God dealing with me about salvation. I thought “I am just not saved. I will call upon the Lord for salvation..” I did it and nothing happened. The thirst did not go away. I called on the Lord to save me many times during that period of time. No relief came. After much inner struggling, I came to the conclusion that God was calling me to preach. I went to see my pastor and when I walked though the door into his house I said, “God is either calling me to preach or I’m going crazy.” He just laughed. At that time, it was no laughing matter (I didn’t get upset with him over it though). I thought he just didn’t understand my struggles. And do you know what? He didn’t even offer to pray with me. He just looked at me and said, “Well, you have told me. Have you talked to God about it? He is the One who is calling you!” I left his house, if I remember correctly, after 11:00 p.m.. I owned at that time a 53 chevy pickup. Before I got into the truck that night, I went to my knees on the ground beside that pickup and surrendered my life to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was in Benton, Ark. I lived in Little Rock and I rejoiced all the way home. I discovered something that night. There are other thirsts beside the thirst for salvation. God works through a desire He places in us to do His will (Phil 2:12-13). That desire or thirst can only be satisfied when we do that for which the thirst was created.

There was another time I had a real struggle and though I might be lost. So, again I prayed for salvation. I though I needed to be saved.. But praying for salvation brought no relief. I knew early in my ministry that I needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I read the stories of Moody, R.A. Torrey, Finney and many others. I prayed and prayed and I couldn’t get relief. I went to Camp Zion in Myrtle, MS. It is an unusual camp to say the least. I heard and saw things at that camp that satisfied a need in my life at that time. The first time I saw and heard Uncle Mel Rutter and Aunt Dottie, Dr. James Crumpton, Dr. Bob Grey, Manley Beasley and many others were at this camp meeting. On an occasion I heard a preacher get up and tell of being the pastor of a successful Baptist Church and discovered he wasn’t even saved. Well, I was pastoring a successful Baptist Church and I had a thirst for the filling of the Holy Spirit as described by some of the great preachers in the past, and I could not get relief. So, again I interpreted my situation as being a lost preacher. So on my knees I went.. I prayed and prayed over weeks and could get no relief. And this time, I just never got relief. I finally just outlasted the doubt. I am so glad I didn’t get up before my church and tell them that I thought I was lost.. I just couldn’t get peace about doing that. It’s kind of funny. I doubted my salvation but I never once doubted my call to preach. It looks like I would have been wise enough to have recognized who was messing with my mind!!

I have discovered that what Jesus taught the woman at Jacob’s well is something you can count on. One drink of the water of life and you will never thirst again. You may thirst for something else and misinterpret it as being the need for salvation. But pray as you will for salvation, relief will not come. When you are unsaved and pray for salvation, thirst is immediately satisfied. At that time a well is created in us, the springs of which will flow into the endless ages. Remember. One drink. You will never thirst again. Not for that!!!!

Let me mention one other thing. Many times over the years I have had Christians in my church doubt their salvation. I used to lead them to a new profession of faith. It would last a little while and down the isle they would come again. Since I believe that baptism follows a genuine experience of salvation, I would baptize them. Well, when you have baptized a person three or four times, its time to consider something else. I baptized some members of my church so many times, if they have any marks on them when they get to heaven, it will be water marks!!! Just remember this, if salvation is not what the person needs, getting a new profession will neither help the problem nor quench the thirst. If you ever take one drink of the water Jesus talked to the woman at Jacob’s well about, you will never thirst again.

May God bless these words to your heart.

In Christ

Earl White