Wednesday, September 25, 2013

By: Brandon Bilbo

Spiritually Dehydrated

John 7:38 Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, "Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."

For more than twenty years, my parents have hosted a youth ski conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee during Mardi Gras. Most of the teens in attendance have never seen snow or skied. So, once they get out on those mountains, they do not want to come inside! Because of this, we have had youth that have dehydrated due to the lack of water consumption. NOW, we remind them throughout the day to take a break and HYDRATE!

Water is such an important part of daily health and carries MANY benefits. Water increases metabolism, regulates appetites, increases energy levels, decreases risk of many cancers, reduces joint and back pain, flushes out waste and bacteria that cause disease, moisturizes skin, aids in digestion, and transports nutrients throughout the body.

Anyone want a glass of water yet?

Interestingly, the most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration! Dehydration occurs because there is too much water lost, not enough water taken in, or most commonly, a combination of the two.

Todays' verse talks about a different kind of water...the LIVING WATER. In John 6:35, Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty."

Just as you can dehydrate when you physically do not consume enough water, you can also SPIRITUALLY DEHYDRATE when you do not consume enough of God's living water.

Have you ever felt like you had nothing to offer others? Or felt like you didn't even have the energy to go to church, read your Bible or pray? Those are certainly effects of spiritual dehydration. However, when you begin to consume God's living water through prayer, His Word and fellowship, you will be energized, strengthened and encouraged!

You CANNOT function or survive spiritually without God's living water. I've always found that the more water I drink, the more I want. Likewise, the more of God you consume, the more you'll want...and the more you'll realize that you can't live without Him.

I challenge you today to consume more of Him. If you have felt spiritually weak and dehydrated, make it a point to spend more time in His Word and prayer. You'll quickly be spiritually charged and have a refreshing outlook on life!

Dear Lord, I thank You that Your presence and power never runs dry for those who pursue You. Fill me to overflowing. I desire more of You in my life always!

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.