Daily Devotional | Meeting at the Well

Thirst is the way our brain alerts us that our body is getting dehydrated. When our body craves fluid, our throat and mouth get dry, we get dizzy, tired, or lightheaded. But the word thirst can be used another way, it can describe our desire or craving for something more. To thirst for something is to want it urgently.

In John 4, Jesus was sitting alone by Jacob’s well in Samaria when a woman came to draw water in the middle of the day (vv. 4–7). Jesus asked if she would provide Him with a drink (v. 7). By making this request, Jesus was violating several cultural norms. First, He, a Jew, was speaking with a Samaritan. And second, He, a Jewish man, was speaking to a woman in public. This kind of behavior broke cultural norms and would be considered disgraceful.

Jesus was not just being a rebel. Rather, He violated cultural customs to give this woman something she craved but could never have obtained on her own. He asked her to take a risk in giving Him something He wanted, so He could provide for her what she really needed. He wanted physical water. She thirsted for living water.

When Jesus asks us to serve Him in ways that aren’t conventional or involve risk, He, in turn, blesses us unexpectedly in ways that we cannot imagine. Following Jesus in willing obedience is always the best option. And what Jesus asks of us boils down to a simple principle: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).