What Does Living Water Mean In The Bible?

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7:38

When Jesus met with the Samaritan woman at the well, one of the promises he made to her is that he could give her living water and that should would never thirst again. He made this promise at a well, where she would daily have to draw water from in order to survive in this hot climate.

What exactly is living water? Living water is simply defined as water that is moving, not stagnant. In this area, we get a beautiful picture of what living water actually is in the comparison of two seas - the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

The Jordan River flows into both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It's the same river that feeds both seas, but while the Sea of Galilee is full of life, the Dead Sea is like its name suggests...dead. Because no water flows out of the dead sea, it produces a hostile environment for any type of marine life.

The problem is the salt content. The salty water flows into the Dead Sea and because there is no outlet, it just accumulates and accumulates. The high salt content kills everything inside of the sea. Animals and plants just can't survive in it.

This is a great picture of what happens with us. When we become Christian, the Holy Spirit is given to us. The Holy Spirit can be described as a river. It's flowing. The Holy Spirit is meant to flow into you and out of you (to others). When we use our giftings, when we lay hands and pray for someone, when we share an encouraging Scripture with a friend, the Holy Spirit flows out of us and impacts those around us.

Too often, as Christians, we try to hoard up the things God has given to us. Rather than using our gifts, they sit dormant in our lives. Rather than going to church and blessing others, we go to church and simply consume the teaching from the pulpit. Some churches even cater to people in this way, and rather than producing life in people, they stunt people's growth. The entertainment driven churches are popular, but if you dig beneath the surface, you will find a lot of people who are lost and hurting.

We are not designed to receive good teaching, listen to good podcasts and watch inspirational videos without turning around and blessing others with what we have learned. Do this long enough and we become like the Dead Sea, with no life in us.

Living water is meant to keep moving. It's mean to flow from one person to the next. When we become stagnant, it only produces death in us. Our spiritual life is one that is meant to be shared with others. So here's my challenge, go out and find someone to bless today!

Prayer - Father, you have blessed me in order to be a blessing to others. Help me to use my gifts today to bless those around me. Amen.