Sports Drinks

Athletes today have an overwhelming amount of choices in what to drink while they work out. Sports drinks come in multiple brands, colors, and flavors. Water isn’t just water, now it has vitamins, minerals, and other benefits. Hardly anyone drinks plain water because sports drinks are advertised as a way to get an edge on the competition before, during, and after a workout or game.

Water was important to the people of the Old Testament. It was a daily struggle to go to the well and get enough water to cook, clean, drink, and bathe. A refreshing underground spring was a valuable resource. Many had to settle for a “cistern,” which was a hole dug in a rock to catch rainwater.

God used these images to confront the unfaithfulness of Israel. He said that they chose to drink dirty rainwater rather than refreshing spring water. Just think, at the end of a long practice, would we rather drink the warm, dirty water at the bottom of an old water jug or have a refreshing cold sports drink from the refrigerator?

The same is true in our spiritual lives. We all have a deep spiritual thirst. When we look to quench our spiritual thirst in the things of the world, we settle for nasty, dirty “water” that will not satisfy. When we look to God to quench out thirsty souls, He provides the kind of “water” that can meet every need and truly satisfy our thirst.