John 4:13-14 ” Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty 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.’ “

We’ve all been very thirsty. An interesting note about the human body…hunger pangs will eventually subside, but thirst will never go away, for our bodies need water to operation and maintain homeostasis, (a stable and normal condition of all systems within the body.)  In this Scripture, Jesus is offering the Samaritan woman the kind of water that will not only satisfy immediately, but will become  an Artesian well within her.  Like a spring rising up with a new and constant supply of fresh water, this living water fills and quenches our thirst unlike anything the world can offer.

Ezekiel 33:12 ” Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.’ “

God is a God of new beginnings.  For there is no one on the face of the earth that is beyond God’s reach.  If we but turn away from willfully deviating from the right path…our moral wrongdoing will not be judged.

But in contrast – every wonderful work you’ve done in the past does not entitle you to salvation if you choose to sin…for God is a just and fair God who judges by His own standard of righteousness.

Psalm 68:20 ” Our God is a God Who saves; from the sovereign Lord comes escape from death.”

The Lord saves us from what?  In a single word – condemnation.   John 3:18 tells us that from the womb we are condemned already…destined to Hell.  No amount of good works will ever save you.  Nor will you ever make it to Heaven on your believing Grandmother’s shirt-tails. But most strikingly, you will never be able to save yourself.   Only the Lord Jesus Christ can deliver you from the wrath that is to come.  Only He can offer you freedom from an eternal sentence of Hell.

John 8:42 ” Jesus said to them, ‘ If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on My own; but He sent Me.’ “

God sent His only Son to earth in order to save us from  our sins.  Jesus Christ came from God to take our place on that cross.  So if you know God…you love Jesus…and if you love Jesus and accept Him as your Savior, your sins are forgiven…and when your sins are forgiven, you receive eternal life.

Hebrews 10: 39 ” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

The scripture today is a continuation of the thought from yesterday…a encouraging thought for all of us… that we are stronger than we think, braver than we can ever imagine, and only need to trust the Lord in order  to succeed.  We are exhorted here  that we are not of those who shrink back, but rather have faith.   For what hangs in the balance is simple…eternal life, or eternal damnation.

Jeremiah 3:12 ” ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt.’ “

In God’s perfect plan,  not one  human-being would experience Hell and  eternal death.  But  He’s also not sitting up in heaven with a big sledge hammer,  relishing the thought of punishing sinners.  Quite the opposite, for in II Peter 3:9 it says, “The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  Our Lord is graciously waiting for all to turn to Him…but we have to make the first move…not only admitting our sin, but accepting responsibility and confessing… we need You,  Lord.

Psalm 102: 26-27 “They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

We live in a very disposable world.  There is nothing we own that will last forever…everything will eventually  be thrown away.  But as the Psalmist proclaims here, there is one thing that will last forever…and His name is the Lord Almighty.  For God’s reign is everlasting.  His throne is firmly  established in justice,  and He will reign without ceasing…for eternity.

Isaiah 33:2 ” O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.”

Lord,  You are the wind in my sail, the power and might behind my every move.  I am the weak,  appealing for mercy from the strong.  I will patiently wait and hope for You, even when I can not clearly see Your hand working.  My trust will be  in You and You alone… for You are my strength and my song, and I will continue to praise Your name forever.    Amen

Psalm 119: 89 ” Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens…”

To paraphrase Isaiah 51:6…the heavens will vanish, and the earth will wear out – but My salvation will last forever, My righteousness will never fail.  The Lord is everlasting and forever…His authority supersedes all that we know and see.  His dominion will never end….His love for you will never cease.

Isaiah 25:9 ” Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Where and in whom does your hope lie today?  Do you trust only yourself and your sheer determination to make your dreams reality?  Or maybe you trust the world around you to give you everything you desire.  Unfortunately, there is no one or thing here on earth that has the ability to deliver you from damnation… for there is only one person that can give you victory over guilt and eternal punishment of your sins.  Jesus is that only person that can save your soul.