18th day of Lent- John 7:37-38

³⁷ On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸ and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

For those of you reading the "flip" devotion, you'll see that the scripture reference left out the chapter number, John 7.  The correct scripture is the one above.  

Today's devotion is on the importance of water for life.  You can go a long time without eating food and survive, but only a few days if you do not have water or some sort of fluids.  The scene Bishop Jeff Barrow describes in Northern Tanzania is one I can relate to, having visited Tanzania on three occasions.  The need for clean drinking water is enormous.  One of the projects we've been involved with is providing wells for the villages, as well as education about water hygiene and maintaining the wells.  In many of these villages, women walk for miles to a source of water, typically a river or a spring.  The water is carried back and used without any type of water treatment at all.  Illness is common place, especially with children.  A well that provides a clean source of drinking water is a great blessing for many.

Clean water is necessary for our physical needs.  Jesus also uses the imagery of water to describe our spiritual need for God.  We thirst for God, for a living relationship with our maker.  Jesus is the living water that provides the drink our soul needs.  Once we drink of him, then that same living water can flow from us to others.  Today may our parched souls be quenched as we drink from the living water of Jesus, and may that same living water be shared with others through our words and deeds.