Psalm 119:153-160

We see this phrase again: Let me be revived by following Your regulations. How does following God’s regulations revive us? When I think about being revived, I think about a nice nap or a day with no schedule. Yet there is a life exchange that happens when we do the will of God.

In John 4, we find an interesting exchange between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Jesus, tired from a long walk, sits down by Jacob’s well near the Samaritan village of Sychar. He sends His disciples into town to buy some food, and while they are gone, He converses with a Samaritan woman who has come to the well to draw water. In the course of their conversation, He speaks to her about “living water,” as opposed to the water she is drawing from the well. In fact, in John 4:13-14, He states:

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
John 4:13-14 NLT

The disciples return with food and are amazed that He is conversing with a woman—and a Samaritan one at that—two major Jewish social faux pas. Continuing on in John 4:

“Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬-‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are some promises we find in both these exchanges. First, Jesus promises that those who drink His living water will never thirst again, for it will become a bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life (now). Secondly, there is a nourishment that comes from doing the will of God and from finishing His work.

This is not something that can be explained naturally, for it is a supernatural provision from God. I can only say that I have experienced it.

There have been days when I have been so overburdened with the looming workload of the day that I felt I didn’t have time for God. The temptation was—and still is—to get started on all my projects without Him. Yet I know I cannot afford to start any day without Him, lest I face it in my own strength. Trust me when I say that those days never go as planned, as my strength and mental acuity quickly run out. But the days I start with Him always seem to go smoother than I feared, and I find I even have extra time to spare—a continual reminder that He is the One who makes my day productive.

Everything we need for the day is found in the time we spend with God. In the words of Myles Munroe:

“Hours with God makes minutes with men effective.”

Words to ponder…