Thirst again?

(John MacDuff)

"Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again."
    John 4:13

All creature and 'created good' is inadequate of
itself to satisfy the yearnings of the human soul.

In every breast there is a craving after happiness.
"Who will show us any good?" is the sigh, the
soliloquy, of weary humanity.

There are many streams of 'created' enjoyment.
Some of these lawful, innocent, exhilarating,
which have the blessing and favor of God
resting upon them.  Others are poor, vile,
degraded, unworthy.

But even the best and purest, viewed by
themselves and apart from God, can afford
no permanent bliss or satisfaction.

They do not, cannot quench the immortal thirst.

Pitcher after pitcher may be brought to the well's
mouth; the golden goblet of riches; the jeweled
flagon with the luscious draught of earthly glory;
or the brimming transparent pitcher drawn up by
the silken cord of human affection.

But He who knows the human heart pronounces,
that "thirst again" is the property and characteristic
of them all.

The finite can never be a satisfying portion
for that which was born for the infinite.

Satisfying portion?

Philosophy, with its eagle soarings,
says, "It is not in me!"

The pride of rank, crowns and coronets,
and lordly titles, says, "It is not in me!"

The laurel of conquest, as it withers on
the warrior's brow, says, "It is not in me!"

Gold, with its glittering heaps, laughs its
votaries to scorn, and says, "It is not in me!"

Jesus does not condemn many of these worldly
streams of innocent pleasure, or forbid their
being resorted to. He who knows our frame
would lay no cruel arrest on many objects of
lawful earthly pursuit; the many wells of earthly
happiness. All He says of them is, "If you restrict
your happiness to these, you will not be satisfied;
you will assuredly thirst again. The well of living
waters that I tell you of, is more far lasting than
all earthly sources of supply."

"Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again.
 But whoever drinks the water I give him will
 never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will
 become in him a spring of water welling up to
 eternal life." John 4:13, 14