Food, Water, and Shelter

eklose
September 22, 2016

Isaiah 49:10 ” They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them .”

Food, water and shelter are the three basic necessities to sustain human life. In the same way, we need the bread of life, living water, and divine protection that can only come from our Heavenly Father to sustain our spiritual life. All of our soul’s deepest needs are met in the person of Jesus Christ.

Living Water. In John 4:9-15, we read of Jesus’ divine appointment with the woman at the well. He had gone to Samaria just to meet her that she might come to know Him. ” Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw “. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman, whomever drinks of the water given by Christ shall never thirst and will find everlasting life (John 4: 14). Jesus Christ is the living water. When we come to Him and accept Him as Lord and Saviour of our lives, we have everlasting life. Our thirst is satisfied, because Christ Himself cleanses us of our sins and by His blood we are made right with God. When we are right with God, we can have the deep satisfaction in our hearts that all is well. And we need never thirst again.

Bread of Life . In John 6:47-51, Christ describes Himself as the Bread of life – the bread that gives eternal life to those who partake of it. ” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world “. Jesus Christ gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sins that we might have eternal life and eternal fellowship with Him. This greatest of gifts is given to all that all might partake. II Peter 3:9 reminds us, ” The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance .” Christ offered Himself for us all, desiring that we all partake of the free gift of salvation He freely offers. We all must come to Him, partake of His living water and His bread of life and become His child.

Divine Protection. As a child of God, we are offered His Divine protection. It is He who shelters us. ” For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy” (Psalm 61:3). As we come to Christ and have our deepest hunger and thirst satisfied, we come to rest under His protective wings. With our very souls satisfied, we can find refuge in Him. ” God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble ” (Psalm 46:1). God is always present. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), nor will He ever leave us comfortless (John 14:18). God is perfectly trustworthy and with Him as our shelter and refuge, we can all say, ” for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day ” (II Timothy 1:12b).

We shall not hunger or thirst. Isaiah 49:10 clearly states the privileges we have as a child of God. ” They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them .” God promises to provide for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19), both physical and spiritual. When we come to Him, asking for and receiving His forgiveness, and drinking of His life-giving water and the bread of life, our souls can be satisfied because they can find rest in Him. A soul without Christ is plagued by the unknown, by fear, by longings, and by guilt. But, a soul found in Christ is at peace, knows its place in His world, is free to live in His grace and can rest in His presence.

Jesus Christ desires that we all come to Him as the woman at the well did in John chapter 4. He stands at the door of each of our hearts, knocking, inviting us to partake of His life-giving water. ” Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me ” (Revelation 3:20). My friends, when you hear His voice, open the door, let Him in and find eternal life and your soul’s deepest satisfaction.

© 2023 Woman at the Well Ministries