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by Logan Ames

Have you found it yet? Is it everything you thought it would be? I’m talking about that one thing that you have been searching for to make you happy, that one thing that would make you feel like there is nothing else you really need in this life. Back in 2007, Kenny Chesney released a song called “Never Wanted Nothing More." You can check out its lyrics here. Whether you like country music or not, the words of the song are something to which many young people can relate. It tells the story of a young man who became of legal driving age and couldn’t wait to drive his friends around. At that point, he thought he never wanted anything more than that. Later, he decides he wants to sleep with his girlfriend for the first time, then eventually marries her. Certainly, God’s Word says those things should be done in reverse order, but this young man doesn’t care because he “never wanted nothing more” each time. Finally, he finds himself in church one Sunday and responds to the opportunity presented to receive salvation, and he again determines there is nothing he has ever wanted more than that. Rightfully, that’s where his quest ends because, whether Kenny Chesney believes it or not, we find what we need AND want in and through a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, as recorded in John 4. This woman was thirsty for water and came to get some, but little did she know that she was thirsting for a whole heck of a lot more than that. I encourage you to read the exchange throughout the chapter yourself. To summarize, Jesus asks her for a drink knowing that Jews weren’t even allowed to associate with Samaritans. The woman is stunned but engages in the conversation anyway. Eventually, Jesus mentions that he can offer “living water” (v. 10). When the woman is confused, Jesus explains, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (vv. 13-14). Who wouldn’t want that? Clearly, the woman is interested, saying, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” (v. 15). It turns out the woman is living with a man who is not her husband and that she has had five previous husbands! While some may come up with judgmental and insensitive words for such a person, the truth is that apart from a relationship with Jesus, we are all doomed to continue to try new partners, new experiences, and even new substances until we find what we are desperately seeking.

The Apostle Paul teaches that this is the condition of anyone who is trapped in sin or continues to offer themselves to disobedience even after they have come to know Jesus. In Romans 6:19-22, he describes how the life of a believer who offers himself to God is much more rewarding than the life of someone who still offers himself to sin. The believers of Paul’s day were just like many believers today who question whether God’s way is really the best or most fulfilling. Do you wonder this from time to time? Do you find yourself wishing you could just have whatever it was you gave up or changed when you started following Jesus? Pay no attention to these longings because they are lies from the devil designed to keep you trapped.

Look specifically at what Paul says in verses 20-21: “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” In other words, Paul is challenging these believers to think about whether the things they still long for really did benefit them at all. He challenges them to see the bigger picture rather than be held captive by the fleeting desires of the flesh. Their minds and flesh are telling them to return to old ways, but their pasts should remind them that the end result wasn’t joy. In fact, it would have led them to death if not for the fact that God rescued them through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:24-25).

The same is true for you and me. Christ is the living water that we need. Sure, we will be physically thirsty again as long as we are in this world. But spiritually, he is all we need. The long search for ultimate fulfillment ends with Jesus. He was here since the beginning, carries us through our time on the earth, and will be there for all of eternity. Everything else that you desire and everything else you chase will fade away at some point. If marriage and a family are what you long for, they could be gone in an instant even after you get them. Think about the earthquake that just killed thousands in Nepal and the other major disasters that have happened over the past few years. They serve as reminders that NOTHING is guaranteed apart from Jesus. If you remain in him (John 15:4-7), the guarantee is eternal life. If you don’t, the guarantee is eternal suffering. Jesus is the Savior for those who accept him, and the Judge for those who don’t.

I encourage you today to let go of anything from your past that is still clamoring for your attention and to find everything you need in the LORD. The Samaritan woman at the well didn’t even know what she was missing. She had no clue how hopeless and fruitless her pursuits for a husband were in her life. Is that you? Honestly evaluate your life and the things that you spend your time chasing. Look at the things you have chased in the past. Did they provide everything you dreamed they would? When you realize the answer is “no,” consider it a blessing that God is reminding you not to travel that road again. He’s not trying to take away what you need, he’s rescuing you from a death trap. Trust him and know that you can turn to him for ALL of your needs. We each get to choose. For me, I’ll take the living water that ALWAYS satisfies.

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