THIRST AND A LONGING
DRINK AND POUR OUT
Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David,
into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped
in the Valley of Rephaim.
David was then in the stronghold,
and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink
of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines,
drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate,
and took it and brought it to David.
Nevertheless David would not drink it,
but poured it out to the LORD.
And he said, "Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this!
Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?
For at the risk of their lives they brought it."
Therefore he would not drink it.
These things were done by the three mighty men.
1 Chronicles 11:15-19
GOD placed the Spring of Life in Bethlehem in His Son JESUS!
Like the Philistines, the enemy of our soul hinders us from coming to the well of the Water of Life. The whole world is under the sway of the evil one.
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 42:1-2
Like the three mighty men, The Triune GOD - The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit - made a way for us to have this drink.
The Father sent His only begotten Son into this world. He did not just 'Put His life in jeopardy' but willingly gave up His life and poured out His life blood for us.
The LORD JESUS passed through Samaria not only to get to Galilee from Judea, but also to meet with a sinful woman. He sat by the well in Sychar not only to request a drink of water, but more importantly, to reach out to the woman of Samaria and to offer her the Living Water! (John 4)
Jesus answered and said to her,
"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life."
John 4:13-14
Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
But when the kindness and the love of God
our Savior toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Titus 3:4-6
David, realizing the seriousness of the sacrificial act of his men, did not drink the water he had longed for! He poured it out to the LORD instead.
It is different with the sacrificial life blood poured out by our LORD. We cannot find spiritual life without drinking it. This means, receiving and taking into our life, the LORD JESUS. He enters our heart in the form of the Holy Spirit, Who is the Water of Life!
This life becomes a fountain in our innermost being as eternal life, now and for eternity.
Having received the water of life, like David, we must pour out our life to GOD for others.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us
and given Himself for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:1-2
On the last day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts,
let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit,
whom those believing in Him would receive;
for the Holy Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:37-39
The woman with the Alabaster flask of oil, the Apostle Paul and many others have set the example for us to follow.
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
as He sat at the table, a woman came
having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.
Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
Mark 14:3
Paul said:
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering
on the sacrifice and service of your faith,
I am glad and rejoice with you all.
Philippians 2:17
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
2 Timothy 4:6
Having experienced the amazing grace of GOD manifested in the cross of Calvary, we cannot but pour out our lives to the GOD of all grace. We can say with the Apostle Paul,
I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
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