Water for life

Today I set up the automatic watering system for the tomatoes in our small greenhouse. The water trickles into each pot, providing the water the plants need to grow and produce a crop.

Watering nozzles for tomatoes

Without water, plants die. They also need light, temperatures within a certain range, and sufficient mineral nutrients.

But because I was setting up the watering system, I was thinking about their need for water more than anything else.

How long would a person live without water? Just a few days. Dehydration would set in and death would surely follow. Water is essential for life.

Jesus had a conversation about this with a woman who'd come from a village to draw water at a well. She knew how much she needed water, it was worth a journey, the weight of a heavy container, and facing the heat of the day. Jesus told her he could provide a flow of water that would rise up inside her and keep her refreshed without visiting the well. She was very keen to receive this water.

Jesus was talking about something that brings spiritual life, not just ordinary well water. What would you be prepared to do to obtain an inner source of spiritual refreshment that would never run out?

(If you liked this you might also like Journeys of heart and mind and Quote me on this.)