Living Water

Occasionally, I'd like to share an inspirational thought around the theme of what I share on this blog. Last month, I shared about the importance of water for good health. 

Thinking about water reminded me of my first trip to Israel in October of 2010. While I was there, I had the opportunity to visit Jacob's Well in Samaria. (called Nablus today) Before visiting the well that morning, I read the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at that well in John 4. I was actually going to see the well that day, a well that Jacob (renamed Israel by God) dug himself! I was so excited! 

Today, that well is located inside of a church building that was built around it at some point. When I entered the building and saw the well, I was somewhat skeptical. It was difficult for me to imagine what the well might have looked like in a natural, outdoor setting instead of inside this building. My thoughts came out when I asked the older man who was working there:

Is this really Jacob's well? 

His reply was: "Yes, come, come."

I came closer and watched him drop a metal cup attached to a very long rope down into the well. I peered down the well, like a curious, little child. The well was very deep just like the Bible says. (John 4:11) 

After a few seconds, I finally heard the cup splash as it reached the water at the bottom of the well. I watched the man pull the cup back up with the long rope which was attached to a strong metal bar above the well. If I remember correctly, I helped take a turn in pulling the cup back up. Finally, a large cup full of cool, fresh water appeared out of the well, and I drank some water from Jacob's Well that day. It was the best tasting water I've ever had! The water from that well was so good likely due to the wonderful, mineral content in the water! (which further proves that well water is healthier to drink!)

No doubt, the water from Jacob's Well has been this way for thousands of years. Perhaps the locals of Jesus day thought the same thing that I did about this water? Because this water was so refreshing, it seemed life giving to me.

Suddenly, Jesus words came to life in a whole new way to me after drinking that water.

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:13-14 

Jesus offered something even better to the Samaritan woman going to get this wonderful, life giving water at Jacob's Well. He offered her eternal life, and He used water as a metaphor for His Spirit living inside of someone because water is life giving. 

Just like we can't live, physically, without water, we cannot live, spiritually, without God's Spirit living in us. We need God just as much as we need our daily intake of water.   

I purchased a small souvenir that day to remind me of my visit there. 

Before leaving Jacob's Well, I turned around with tears in my eyes to glance at this well one last time. Our Messiah, the King of the Universe, once sat on this well, I thought.   

When I flew back home to the United States a couple weeks later, one of the first things I said to my mom on my cell phone while inside the airport was: "Mom, I drank from Jacob's Well!"  

Drinking water from Jacob's Well was a highlight of that trip for me, and I've never forgotten how good that water tasted!  

Stay tuned as I begin to share about a new topic on my health blog this month!