Thursday thoughts: We all need water

Jill Johnson

Just like plants were created to need water and depend upon it, we were created to need and depend on God.”

Several weeks ago, we purchased a planter box along with plants to put inside the box. Wayne spent an afternoon putting the box together, and then I planted an assortment of flowering plants in the box. They looked so pretty.

I knew I needed to water them daily, and I was really conscientious about doing so. The first week or so, it really wasn't that hot outside, and my plants looked to be thriving. Then the sun came out, and the heat and humidity definitely made a difference.

We were gone all day one Saturday, and when I came home, my plants looked wilted and limp and appeared to be dying. I immediately watered them, and within an hour, they looked alive, refreshed, and beautiful. This same situation has happened several times since we have had the planter box. You can definitely tell by their appearance whenever the heat is too much for them to handle. Amazingly, a little water can do the trick.

I was thinking how the same scenario can be true in my life when I am trying to survive without the living water that is provided by Jesus to sustain me, regardless of whether it's a good day or a hard day. Just like plants were created to need water and depend upon it, we were created to need and depend on God. As long as my plants are well watered, they look healthy and are thriving.

In the same way, as long as I am depending on God and spending daily time with him, my life will be sustained when the heat from the trials of life can seem scorching. Isaiah 58:11 says, "The Lord will guide you continually; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

God is the only water for our lives and hearts who can keep our souls from becoming spiritually dry. We need to be watered daily by His Word and by spending time with Him. My plants are not able to store enough water to keep them going. They need continued nourishment. We also cannot draw on our supply of living water unless we are replenishing it daily. We need to spend daily time with God in prayer and His Word to stay connected to Him. This gives us the supply of His living water that daily will refresh us, sustain us, and strengthen us during difficult times when the trials of our life seem to cause us stress, just like the heat of the sun.

When our lives are watered with the Word and time with God, our circumstances may still seem hard, but He will be the cool refreshment that can keep us going. Even in the hardest seasons when our lives might feel empty and painful, God can water our souls with His peace, strength, grace, and mercy so we might feel His presence and continue to thrive and grow. Every day when I water my plants, I am reminded of how I need to daily water my own life with God's goodness and grace, expressing my thankfulness for His provisions.

Life can be tough. We all have hard days and times. Let's remember when we feel tired, anxious, scared, fearful, or empty that our lives are thirsty for more than a temporary sip of water. We are in need and longing for the daily source of water that only Jesus can provide. I don't know about you, but I will be running to Him because He is our source of living water that never runs dry. 

John 4:14: "But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.