Drink Up.

Would Jesus be the gold flavor, do you think?

Another day on campus, and yet another blog idea. At least there's something to be said about higher education. Well, that and the insane amount of studying you have to do. I just studied for 2 hours as I read and highlighted my first chapter in Psychology, and then I remembered I have 2 chapters to read for Intro to Theater, the book to look over for Chem and Chem Lab, and I still have yet to connect to the campus drive to get the reading and powerpoints for my Geography class. All this, and they haven't even started teaching yet!
So, once again, I'm adventuring around campus, this time walking with my friend when we pass one of the dining halls at the far end of campus. Parked outside was a Vitamin Water truck, and two people in front of it were passing out bottles of - what else - Vitamin Water. I was handed one - Black Cherry Lime? Gross? - all of a sudden, and popped it in my backpack as we continued walking (after taking a sip, and declaring it to be too disgusting to consume.)
As I ended the day, I saw a slogan from Vitamin Water - "Healthy Hydration for Every Occasion." It got me thinking - every occasion? Ohk, so you could drink it after a soccer game. Smart. After a speech. Ohk, that works too.
But what if you're really, really thirsty? There's only one thing that will satisfy that - and it's not Vitamin Water.
In John 4, we read of Jesus going to a well in Samaria, in a town called Sychar. He's been walking all day, and by this point is really tired, and understandably thirsty. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water from the well, and Jesus asks her to get him a drink.
Now, let's clear something up. Jesus was a Jew. In his time, Jews didn't talk to Samaritan people, and so Jesus asking her for a drink was shocking to her. She replies, "But you're a Jew, and I'm a Samaritan - that's a no-no!"

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10)

The woman is now probably more confused than before. Instead of a simple, "Oh, my bad." Jesus replies with this? She says, "Dude. You don't have anything to draw water with, and that sucker is deep. Where can you get this 'living water?' Are you greater than our father Jacob, who made the well?" He replies, "Everyone who drinks from this well will get thirsty again, sooner or later. But whoever drinks the water I have will never thirst again. The water I give him will become a spring, welling inside of them a spring of eternal life."
That sounds awesome, doesn't it? The Samaritan woman thought so too, and jumped at the chance to recieve it. "Give me some!" she asks. He tells her to go get her husband. Easy enough, right?
Wrong. This woman doesn't have one, and she tells Jesus this. He says, "You're right in the fact that you don't have a husband. In reality, you've had 5 husbands and the man you're with now isn't your husband."
Well, dang.
Here's the rest of the story, from John 4:19-26:

 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Jesus can provide water that can quench any thirst you've ever had, and ever will have. Vitamin Water can't say that.
So here's your NR challenge for this post. I challenge you to dive into the "water" that God has given us. Study the Bible and what He has to say about it, and then make the leap into faith. It'll be more refreshing than any Black Cherry Lime you've ever had.
Are you in?

-Kimber.

(P.S. - I apologize for all of the horrible "water" references and jokes. It comes with the job.