“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.”

—John 4:14
This summer my friend Bev and her family hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The weather forecaster had said the temperatures would hit the nineties, so Bev, her husband, and their children left their camping spot on the canyon’s rim just as the sun was rising.

Before they had hiked even a mile, Bev’s husband stopped the crew and insisted everyone take a giant swig of water. “Why in the world stop now? We just started,” Bev complained. Her husband explained that everyone needed to drink. Bev, independent-minded woman that she is, thought otherwise. Her idea of wise water management was to wait until later, when she really needed a drink.

Much to Bev’s chagrin, a short time later her husband stopped the family again. In fact, they stopped at regular intervals to drink. Everyone but Bev, that is. After all, she had heard that restrooms weren’t around. They arrived at the bottom of the canyon, enjoyed a brief picnic, slung on their backpacks to head home. The incline was steep, with temperatures well over one hundred degrees. That’s when Bev got in trouble.

She drank and drank, but her body didn’t get the message. She felt parched. My friend learned that when it’s hot, don’t wait until the last minute to drink.

Use water wisely.

We can’t go for long intervals without prayer and Bible reading and then, in a clinch, grab for grace and find—voilà!—strength is there. We all need to drink in God’s Word at regular intervals. That’s the only way you and I are going to be prepared when we are faced with those tough uphill climbs.

Jesus is offering you a drink today. Don’t put him off, thinking you’re not thirsty. Drink now

Remind me, Lord, to come to your wellspring regularly to sustain my soul and to be prepared for the steep inclines that are bound to be up ahead.