There is a plant outside my bedroom that I walk past several times a day. I was busy with life and did not pay attention to it. Days turned into weeks, and I did not water it. One day I looked at it and saw that it was limp and looking lifeless. I had to pay attention to it and give it water, or it would die. I watered it and left it for a while to revive. It still looked limp, so I gave it more water and went to bed. The next day it was full of life again. The leaves were standing up, and it no longer looked pathetic, showing the benefit of water to thirsty roots. I realized this is how my spiritual life is at times.
I get so busy with life I forget to water my soul. I take my faith and relationship with Jesus for granted. But by not watering my soul, I will begin to wither. Like the plant, I may go a while because of the roots I have developed. Without nourishment, eventually, I will wilt. The soil of my life will become so dry there will be nothing to sustain me. I may try to get by on my strength and abilities. There is a limit as to how long I will be able to keep going. If I spent time with God, I would be filled up again and receive the life-giving nourishment and strength I need to live in a fallen world. I would be stable, not in my power, but in God’s. I would be taking Him in and allowing Him to give me what I need for life, a vibrant existence that brings joy to me and those around me. A life that shows His beauty and brings the light of Jesus to a dark world.
To do this, I must drink of God’s word daily. This time spent with God grows my root system. And like my plant, it requires more than just a little bit of water; it requires intentional time and, at times, prolonged time with God. This living water that Jesus offers is not Himself but the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (John 7:37-39). God knows how fragile human beings are. He did not intend for us to go it alone on earth. God promises to draw near to us if we draw near to Him (James 4:8). Once we accept His Son as Savior, God imparts His Spirit in us to help us. (Acts 2:38)
Water makes a plant stronger, just as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes us stronger. By being filled by the Holy Spirit, I can resist temptations thrown at me by Satan. Just look at how Jesus was able to resist temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4). He had spent time fasting and praying. Although I believe he was weak in the flesh, He was strong in His spirit because of spending quality time with God, and He defeated Satan. Jeremiah paints a beautiful picture of a tree planted by water in Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” This tree, planted near the source of life and nourishment, will flourish. We will also grow when we draw living water from the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer.
If I don’t have strong roots, I will be susceptible to falling. As I was thinking about this concept, I looked at root systems and why they sometimes fail. It is always sad to see a big, beautiful, old tree uprooted after a storm comes through. I often think, what happened? How could this tree be on its side with all those roots to give it stability? After all, roots serve many purposes, but two important ones are to provide nourishment and strength, an anchor, for the plant. One answer I found was that the roots were damaged somehow, either by human intervention (perhaps damaged while digging) or natural causes (a disease in the soil or roots). Am I damaging my spiritual root system? Do I spend quality time with God? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to guide me and give me wisdom and discernment, or do I go off on my own and forge my path? Am I allowing fungus and disease of the world to guide me? Do I read books or listen to speakers that are not following the Bible’s teachings, but they sound good? All of this will tear down my root system, not make it stronger. The only way to get stronger is to drink daily of the living water that Jesus offers through the Holy Spirit.
Not all liquid is appropriate for a plant to receive nourishment. I could not just pour anything I happened to have in my hand on my plant. Some fluid may do more harm than good. Only water will satisfy the plants’ need to spring back to life. In fact, not all water is the same. I read somewhere that rainwater is the best water because of what is in it. Like rainwater being the best water source for plants, Jesus is the best source to quench our thirst. I am not talking about physical craving, but spiritual. A longing that, if fulfilled by things of this world, will always leave me wanting more. Do I long after God, thirst, like the Psalmist described a deer panting after water (Psalm 42:1). Sometimes, I look to the wrong things in life to satisfy the thirst I feel. A job, children, money, cars, houses, relationships, etc., will never fulfill my cravings long-term. These things will always disappoint and leave me dissatisfied. Why? I believe because I was created in God’s image and to have a relationship with Him. I will not find lasting satisfaction in anything other than God. People may also look to other people or relationships to fill the hole they feel inside. Only Jesus can satisfy the deep longing inside. As David said in Psalm 63:1, “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
We are reminded in hot spells to drink a lot of water. Don’t people know they need water? But during these heat spells, I hear of people who get dehydrated. What about in my spiritual life? Do I realize when the heat index is going up in my life? Do I try to get by in my power? Or do I press into and drink of the Spirit that lives within me? My part is to go to the river and drink the living water that Jesus offers. The old phrase “Lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” comes to mind. As believers, the Spirit is always there with us, but we have to listen to Him. We need to open our hearts, minds, and eyes to see the soul-quenching life-giving source of nourishment for our souls that are available to us. Jesus stood on the last and greatest day of the festival and gave the encouragement that can be found in John 7:37-38 “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
My little plant taught me the importance of staying hydrated. To remain vibrant and alive spiritually, I must have nourishment found in the Holy Spirit, who is alive and active in me. If I do not go to the well and drink the living water that Jesus offers, I will be like my plant: I will need constant watering. But, when I accept Jesus as my Savior and drink of the Holy Spirit, this is refreshment that lives within me and is a continual source of nourishment and strength. Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman (John 4), and He offers us living water today. When I am tired and limp physically, there is nothing quite as refreshing as a nice cold drink of water. I pray that I remember to draw on the life-giving living water within me before I get depleted spiritually. Not only does the Holy Spirit guide us and comfort us, but He also strengthens us and keeps the soil of our hearts fertile. When our hearts are soft and open to receiving what God has for us, we can stand tall and find refreshment with the living water available to us.
Peace in the Desert 