It’s no secret that daily consumption of water is essential for maintaining good health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that “drinking water can prevent dehydration, which may cause unclear thinking, mood change, overheating, constipation, and kidney stones.”  Beyond preventing dehydration, water is important for key bodily functions necessary for human vitality.

In 1945, the Journal of Biological Chemistry published a report detailing the water content of the human body: “The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.”  It stands to reason, then, that if a human is to simply survive, the substance that makes up so much of the body needs to be replenished on a regular basis.

We know that water is made up of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen; it doesn’t have a taste or odor, nor does it carry any nutritional or medicinal value. Yet it is vital to not only human survival, but also all known forms of life, including the earth itself. Water’s importance lies in its ability to act as a carrier of necessary nutrients while at the same time functioning as a cleansing and protecting agent in various human and natural environments.

In the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel, we read of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well in the region of Samaria. John tells us that the encounter took place around noon, which would mean that the sun would be at its highest, likely making it a warm day. There are other clues to this story that we are given as well – Jesus had embarked on a several-day journey from Judea (Jerusalem) to Galilee, which obviously made Him weary (John 4:6 NIV). Most people would have taken one of two more circuitous routes to avoid traveling through Samaria, which was also more mountainous in its terrain. Jesus took the mountainous road through Samaria, where He would encounter the woman. 

It is here where we find the phrase “living water” used by Jesus for the first time in the New Testament. Hot and tired from his journey, Jesus asked the woman for a drink as she was drawing water from the well that afternoon. He needed refreshment and hydration for sure, and while it’s not recorded, the woman most likely could have given a cup of water to Jesus even as she protested, “‘How can you ask me for a drink?’” (John 4:9 NIV). Jesus’ response to her initiated a conversation that went far beyond the need for physical refreshment.

“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 NIV). 

Talk about a conversation starter! Jesus knew that He was going to encounter the woman and He also knew her story. He asked her for something that she could give Him, despite knowing she needed what He had to offer. Up until that point, this woman had lived her life being used and tossed aside by others, possibly feeling useless and of little worth. By asking for a drink from her ladle, Jesus was communicating with subtle power that she was far from useless or worthless. What’s more, He had something far better to give in return – water that would quench her spiritual thirst. When Jesus uses the term “living water,” the woman would have understood that to mean running water coming from a spring or river rather than a well; but the double meaning of eternal life would eventually become clear.

What a day for that sweet soul – coming to the well at noon to avoid others, only to encounter the Savior who would ultimately restore her to complete fullness – an experience she wasn’t expecting and certainly did not think would even be possible. Such transformation took place that when she ran back into town to tell people what had happened, she wasn’t shunned or even ignored, rather they followed her back to the well. John writes that “many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him [Jesus] because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39 NIV).

Beyond your daily physical need for water, what do you need today to replenish your spiritual thirst? Just like rain waters the earth to bring new life, the gift of God in Christ comes to the thirsty soul to replenish and restore, bringing new life where there once was a parched and dry desert place.

The old gospel song by Richard Blanchard sums it up well:

Like the woman at the well, 

I was seeking

For things that could not satisfy.

And then I heard my 

Savior speaking:

“Draw from My well that 

never shall run dry.”

(Chorus)

Fill my cup, Lord, 

I lift it up, Lord.

Come and quench this 

thirsting of my soul.

Bread of heaven, feed me 

till I want no more.

Fill my cup, fill it up and 

make me whole.

There are millions in this 

world who are craving

The pleasures earthly 

things afford.

But none can match the 

wondrous treasure

That I find in Jesus Christ, 

my Lord. 

Next time you pour a glass of water, remind yourself that as important as it is to remain hydrated, true vitality comes only from Christ as He alone can quench our spiritual thirst. So don’t stop drawing from His well, drink up and let others know what you’ve found!

This article was originally titled “Drink Up” in the May 2025 issue of The War Cry.