This Drink’s on Me

I’m high-step-walking in early morning bliss when out of the blue, this phrase pops in my mind: “This drink’s on me!” I think: “Is that you, God?” I think He’s telling me to drink in the beauty of this morning. My pondering then goes to what is usually meant by “This drink’s on me!” I suspect that we’ve all heard that phrase in the context of an alcoholic drink in a bar. But, this day, my mind goes to Jesus saying “Come drink of THIS water and you’ll never thirst again.”

“This drink’s on me”, used as an offer for an alcoholic drink, often numbs the senses. “This drink’s on ME” – coming from our Lord, enlightens the senses – making feeling, tasting, hearing, speaking and seeing – so much more intense and empowering. He wants us to drink in HIM – and when we do – we become aware of just how big God is.

At our little neighborhood, sing-a-long concert with LaDonna Gatlin and her husband, Tim, this Sunday morning, she starts us off with Job 38’s explanation of just WHO God is. Job was in total despair after having lost his family, his belongings, his health – nothing remained. He was in misery and rather than God addressing Job’s woes…..He reminds Job WHO HE is AND, how big He is. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Who decreed the boundaries of the seas when they gushed from the depths? Who clothed them with clouds and thick darkness? Have you ever once commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? Have you ever told the daylight to spread to the ends of the earth, to end the night’s wickedness? Who can tilt the water jars of heaven, when everything is dust and clods?”

If that doesn’t conjure up the greatness and bigness of our God Who holds us and this world in His hands – I can’t imagine what does. So, today, He reminds us that He is NOT unaware of what’s going on in our lives. He IS God, after all – Who created this world AND us.

I AM hearing the sound of water moving, fountains flowing, the sound of waterfalls. I feel those living waters – especially as I listen to our praises going up in our little sing-a-long that lifts my heart and soul. I can sense “everything’s gonna’ be alright.” I can sense God’s embrace and His holiness pervading me. Of course, our God is big enough to rule His mighty universe, but, He’s oh so small that He lives within our hearts and offering us to drink of Him and we’ll never be thirsty again. (John 4:14) Come enjoy these living waters. God is saying "This drink's on ME."

Got Thirst? Get Quenched!

God wired us for thirst b

y giving us a “low-fluid indicator”. If our fluid level is low, the signals will flare -- dry mouth, achy head, weak knees, unclear thinking, even fainting. Just before my Holy Lands trip, I was having some really bad neck and back issues, so I went to the chiropractor to give me a tune-up before departure. His first question was: "How much water are you drinking?" He caught me. I hadn't been focusing on my water intake, and my body was reacting to the low fluid intake.

If we deprive our bodies of fluid, our bodies will tell us. I certainly felt that low-fluid indicator a few days ago when we were in the deserts of Israel – incredibly dry and scorching hot. In fact, I heard that some of our pilgrims got blisters on the bottom of their feet just from walking on the hot mud between taking off their shoes and walking to the Dead Sea waters. And the Dead Sea certainly doesn’t provide the opportunity to have your thirst quenched – it is the saltiest water you’ve ever tasted. That speaks volumes for my Mom’s antidote to a sore throat “Take some warm salted water and gargle!” A sore throat wouldn’t stand a chance of survival in that Dead Sea water!!

I knew this would happen to me after having been where Jesus walked and traveled and ministered. I had to look at a map for today's post! Remember the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well? Remember His words to her in John 4:14 "Whoever drinks this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

Here's what I discovered about the location of Sychar (where the well was located) compared to our travels. The road from Jerusalem to Galilee lays through Samaria, but Jews often went around to avoid the Samaritans. (Cool map HERE of the route around. It’s a long way just to avoid people you don’t like!!). BUT, our loving Lord went this way because the Samaritans needed to hear him. He could have gone around but didn’t. Sychar was ancient Shechem and was the capital of Samaria. This is where Abram first came when he arrived into Canaan from Babylonia. (Genesis 12:6)

Jesus was tired after a long day of walking. Jesus was fully human and fully God and as fully human, experienced the same things we do. The sixth hour would have been around noon–the hottest part of the day. (My fellow pilgrims -- remember how hot it was at the Jordan River and the Dead Sea? Can you imagine how thirsty Jesus was there in Sychar?)

The woman at the well was unusual. Mostly women came together during the early part of the day for water for the day. Maybe she ran out of water or had a sudden need or maybe she was an outcast. Like a bar today, the well was a gathering place, a place to exchange news and gossip. It was also a place where prostitutes hung out. A Rabbi never spoke to women in public, not even their own wives or daughters. Some even closed their eyes when passing a woman on the street. Furthermore, Jews never asked favors from Samaritans. Jesus was breaking all the rules -- and showing us ALL how to live.

Also, Jews believed they would become ceremonially unclean if they used a drinking vessel handled by a Samaritan since they held the belief all Samaritans were unclean.

Jesus made a simple request to the woman....water. He makes a simple request of us....faith. Jesus often speaks to us similarly: “If you knew….” on a quest to draw us closer to him, to investigate more, to pray more. If we deprive our souls of spiritual water, our souls will give us low spiritual fluid indication. We’ll know we're low if we're not taking in the "living water" that Jesus offers us. The indicators of "spiritual thirst" might be, if we’re heavy hearted, sad, weary, depressed, edgy, poor decisions being made, frazzled nerves, quick to speak words of anger or unbelief. When those warning signs are indicated on our spiritual fluid indicator" -- it's time to "replenish and re-fluid" from God's "living waters" fountain of hope, love, joy, peace, and wisdom -- always the place to go to for refreshment -- it's a fountain that NEVER runs dry!

Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for the waters, so my soul longs after You, oh God!"

I’m really thirsty right now. It's time to fill up on those springs of living water that will never run dry! Come on in -- join me -- the water is fine!

Again....Proverbs 3:5-6

Again....Proverbs 3:5-6
Yesterday, my post was around that scripture "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths". I had just pushed the "Post" button, and then checked my emails. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I read Dr. Jim Denison's email. As I read his words, I knew they were words "in due season" for all of us -- not to judge others, but to judge ourselves. There, but the grace of God, go you or I. Today, I pray for Tiger Woods and his family, and I pray for him to have a MAJOR come-to God AND come-back to golf!

Tiger Woods explains his arrest in Florida
Dr. Jim Denison | May 30, 2017
Tiger Woods was arrested yesterday in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. His mugshot with drooping eyes and frazzled hair soon went viral. He later issued a statement that is making headlines this morning, claiming that "alcohol was not involved" and citing "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medication."

Whatever the cause of his arrest, it is another sad chapter in a story that was once so promising. I remember when Woods seemed destined to pass Jack Nicklaus' eighteen major championships on the way to recognition as the greatest golfer of all time. After winning the US Open in 2008, he had fourteen major titles and was in the prime of his career.

A year later, he drove his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree. Media scrutiny led to revelations of marital infidelities. He and his wife divorced the next year. Woods has not won a major tournament since.

The day before Woods's arrest, Bernhard Langer became the first man to win all five senior major golf championships. I watched his victory on television and the interview in which he was asked to comment on his record-breaking success.

Langer complimented the player who came in second, then stated that he had been carrying a piece of paper with him during the round and would like to read what it said. He then read Proverbs 3:5–6 to the national TV audience and testified that his relationship with Christ was more fulfilling for him than golf or any other priority.

Scripture testifies that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), including Tiger Woods and Bernhard Langer. The difference is that the latter admits he needs salvation by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) while the former does not.

The stories of Tiger Woods and Bernhard Langer teach the same truth: material success cannot quench spiritual thirst. This is what philosophers call a "category mistake," like asking the color of seven or how much friendship weighs. Only the Spirit can fill our spiritual void with "a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14)."

Drink This Water and You'll Never Thirst Again

Day 10 of 365 days of photo inspirations:
IT'S FREEZING in Texas -- and as Alexia and I made our way home from the store, our attention was drawn to the freezing water surrounding this beautiful waterfall in her neighborhood -- not a usual sight for Texas, which we associate with warmth -- not frigid cold.  But, nevertheless, as cold as it is outside, we need water on the inside.  

Water is our body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of our body weight. Every system in our body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to our cells, and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when we don't have enough water in our body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain our energy and make us tired.

Every day we lose water through our breath, perspiration, and other body functions.   For our body to function properly, we must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.  Medical reports state that we need at least 2 liters of water a day.

There are so many scriptures in the Bible about living water, flowing water, and my inspiration today was about the water that is thirst quenching.
  
John 4:14 "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him, will never be thirsty again." and  Isaiah 58:11 "And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Throughout history there have always been those who looked for the easy way to find the "fountain of youth" or a miracle water that would provide success, fulfillment, and happiness.    But most of this searching is in vain. … it is only this ‘living water,’ that water that never runs dry when we allow Him to quench our thirst.  People really do have a great spiritual thirst.  They crave a cool, satisfying drink of insight and knowledge that will soothe their parched souls. Their spirits cry out for life-sustaining experiences of peace and calm to nourish and enliven their withering hearts.

I invite you, today, to meet the GIVER of that living water.  The woman at the well was looking for water that couldn't satisfy her soul.  That H20 only provided temporary satisfaction.  But I love the outcome of that story because she met up with the TRUTH in human flesh Who revolutioned her life:  He said,  "Everyone who drinks this water (H20) will be thirsty again" but "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst" (John 4:14). In accepting that TRUTH, she shifted from everyday life to everlasting life.  Excuse me....must be about my day, but I'm thirsty, so I'm taking a drink of that living water!