Guest Post by Kayla Matlock I'm out of breath. As I catch up to the other runners up ahead, I scramble to unscrew the cap of my water bottle and take a long, refreshing gulp. The cold water rushing down my throat cools me for a short time, but I feel the need to take another drink only a few minutes later. If I would've known how hot it would be this day, I would've rather stayed at home in the nice, cool air conditioning. I struggle to keep up with the other girls who seem to be pros at running, but it's not long before I stop for another long gulp of water. If only it would satisfy me for a longer period of time. If only my thirst for more would just go away. It's just like life. We feel this thirst; this longing for something to fulfill us. The more we try to fill it with things we think will satisfy, the more we get dragged down. Maybe you're the one who wishes more people liked you. You find your value in what others think and say. Popularity seems like the only route to go. Maybe you're the one who wants to be in control. After all, if you're in control of everything, no one can hurt you, right? Or maybe you're the one who will do anything in order to avoid rejection. You're so desperate for love that you are willing to go as far as you need to to gain acceptance. Whatever your circumstances may be, you're not alone. In fact, there is a woman in the Bible who dealt with those same feelings. Though the Bible doesn't call her by name, I'd like to call her Grace. Grace was a Samaritan woman. She felt like an outcast; like she didn't belong. Over the years, she'd had 5 husbands, but those relationships didn't work out. She ended up living with her boyfriend. One day, she walked to the town well to get some water. However, when she got there, a young Man asked for a drink. Now, this was out of the ordinary for her. You see, this young Man was a Jew. Jews and Samaritans hardly ever spoke to each other. Grace didn't hold back her questioning. "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" She asked. The Man responded, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Now, you can imagine this response really confused Grace. What was this 'living water' He talked about? As she explained her confusion, the Man told her that, if she drinks the water from the well, she would be thirsty again. If she drank from the living water, she would never thirst again. Instead, she would receive eternal life. After hearing this, Grace was eager to receive this water. That way, she wouldn't have to come to the well anymore. However, the Man wasn't finished. "Go call your husband," He said. At this, the women told Him that she had no husband. “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,’" the Man said. "For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." Whoa! What? How in the world did this Man know that she'd had 5 husbands? Grace was amazed and guessed that maybe this Man was a prophet of some sort. After a bit more discussion, Grace told the Man, "I know that the Messiah (the Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will tell us all things." At this, the Man said, "I who speak to you am He." It was then that the women knew and believed that this Man was Jesus; the Messiah and Savior of the world. She couldn't contain herself. She ran back to the village. The place where she was once rejected and told everyone that the Messiah had come. She now understood. Jesus wasn't talking about physical water. He was the Living Water. By accepting Him and believing that He was the Christ, she would never thirst again. She had been unfulfilled with the things she thought would satisfy her, but she wouldn't have to bear that any longer. It's the same for you and me. There are so many things that we try to satisfy ourselves with. We feel this longing. We search for something or someone to complete us, but what we really need is the Living Water; Jesus Christ. When I accepted and believed that Jesus is the Son of God, I knew that I wouldn't be empty anymore. Even when things don't go our way. Even when tragedies happen. Even when we have nothing left. Jesus is still here. He won't ever leave us to go through life on our own. What Do You Think? I encourage you to remember the story of the woman at the well (which can be found in John 4) every time you take a drink of water or feel thirsty. How have you found hope in Jesus, as the Living Water? Kayla Marie Matlock is a Jesus-loving, music singing, 16 year old country girl. Though she has a quiet personality, she absolutely loves sharing her faith with other teens and spending time with her family. She's homeschooled and loving it! In her spare time, you might find her curled up with a good book and some dark chocolate or writing a song with her sister on her guitar. Kayla hopes to fulfill her dream of spreading Christ’s love through her writing and currently writes for her blog, Embrace Purity.
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about the authorAs a 21 year old aspiring teacher, Karissa loves to write, travel, play piano, and read. Many creative things have her heart. archives
November 2021
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