The Importance of a Water Bottle

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3 NIV

Faith walked in the door with her arms crossed, and I knew there was a problem. “How was the second day of first grade?” I asked. “Well, we can only have our water bottles at snack time,” Faith complained. “When I come in from outside, I’m so thirsty, and I wanted to use my water bottle, but the teacher told us we could only have them for snack. After playground, we are supposed to use the water fountain instead.”

I tried explaining to Faith that each teacher has their own set of rules concerning water bottles, and she would learn to deal with it. But the more I thought about it, the more I could see Faith’s point. She told me she wasn’t given enough time at the fountain to quench her thirst. If her water bottle was within reach, it didn’t make sense to wait for refreshment or to walk away unsatisfied.

So similar is our time spent with Christ. Imagine church on Sunday is like that water fountain. You share your Holy experience with others. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing bad about worshiping with others, but it doesn’t fully quench a thirst for Christ. Time alone with Jesus is like drinking from a water bottle. It’s more personal and individualized. When you are parched, the only remedy is one-on-one time with the Father, where you can drink to your heart’s content.

You have more control over the flow. What if the only drink we ever had was from a water fountain? We would certainly be thankful for it, but we would walk away wanting more.

Are you thirsty today? Has your only water come from the fountain on Sunday? The great thing about a water bottle is you can take it wherever you go. Grab yourself a water bottle today and get filled up.