Living Water

by Nicky Smith

In John 4, we learn about the time when Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her to give him some water.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:7-14)

After Jesus asked her for some water, he then asked her if she wanted Living Water and said she would never thirst again and it would lead to eternal life. Sounds like some pretty amazing water!!!

Living water is explained in Doctrine and Covenants 63:23

But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.

Living water is nothing more, nothing less than revelation, which is constant, unlimited, and ever flowing towards us as we are willing to receive. 

Jesus later said, 

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

Here again, Christ reiterates that living water refers to revelation. It makes sense that if we have daily access to revelation, we wouldn't keep thirsting for something we don't have and that God's word does indeed lead to everlasting life. This brings added meaning to Amos 8:11 where the lack of revelation or the words of the Lord is compared to a famine. 

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

Imagine a stream that flows constantly. As we tap into it, we are then able to receive revelations daily and spiritual gifts become more available to us than before. Tapping into this living water isn't automatic. It requires active seeking. Asking questions. Searching the scriptures. Pondering. Listening. Being open-minded, knowing we don't know all things and that some of the things you do know may not be entirely true. (See more ideas for being open to truth here.)

More often than not we think we are open-minded or willing to do whatever God wants us to do, but in reality we are not. We have set up stakes in our minds regarding what God can and will tell us. We also don't accept truth from any source. In this way, we limit our access to living water and stick to a muddy, stagnant water-hole, thinking this is the best tasting water we've ever had.