Do you ever feel unfulfilled? Thirsting for something more? Seeking satisfaction in material things?
I do.
We often find ourselves looking for satisfaction in places that won’t hold our attention forever. In social media, our friends, family, co-workers, food, traveling, “new things.” Eventually, each of these things, though pleasurable, will fail us, and we will be looking — once again — for something to fill us completely.
In the book of John, there is a woman who felt this way. She was thirsty, unsatisfied, and filled with longing.
Are You Thirsty?
I’m not talking about physical thirst, but spiritual thirst. Is your soul dry, in need of replenishing?
The woman of Samaria went to the well to satisfy her physical thirst. But when she met Jesus, he told her she needed a different kind of water: living water. The kind only he could offer. John 4:14 says “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.”
By “drinking the water” Jesus gives us (spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, worship, etc.) Jesus promises we’ll never be thirsty again. We have to be consistent and intentional if we’re to grow in our relationship with Jesus, and a strong relationship with him is the most fulfilling experience a person can ever have.
Are You Unsatisfied?
Skip to scene two of her encounter with Jesus.
“Go, call your husband,” he says. “I have no husband,” she replies.
She speaks truth. She’s had five husbands, and the man she was living with wasn’t even her husband. Talk about dissatisfaction.
The woman of Samaria sought her fulfillment in romantic relationships. Six of them, to be exact. And she still wasn’t “quenched.”
Maybe you don’t seek your satisfaction in romance . . . or perhaps you do. Or possibly you’re looking for fulfillment in sports, academic status, social media, material possessions, or your friends or family. But no matter which “well” you run to for temporary quenching, they won’t work. Only Jesus will ever be your forever fulfillment.
Phillipians 4:19 promises, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Every need.
The woman of Samaria wanted a husband to love her. But did she need it? The verse says Jesus will supply every need of ours. Not always the wants. Do we want our crush to love us back and say so? Maybe. Do we need them to? Jesus says no, because he is the one who supplies us. He is the only one we should look to for real satisfaction, nothing else.
Are You Longing?
The woman of Samaria no doubt, longed for someone to love her. We aren’t told the circumstances about her previous husbands, but the words and questions of Jesus seem to indicate relationship issues. I wonder how she felt when Jesus — a Jew — who wasn’t even supposed to be talking to her (John 4:9) — a Samaritan — met her where she was. A sinner doing chores.
Are you longing for something beyond what this world can offer? Good news, Jesus is the answer. He will fill you to the very brim, even to overflowing.
Surrender to him. Read his Word, drink in its refreshing water, confess whatever sin you’re battling, ask God to forgive you, and you will be satisfied with his love. Your longing will be over, your thirst quenched. Psalm 145:16 says, “You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Dear teenager, I challenge you: stop looking for worldly satisfaction, because it will only last for a little while.
