1. “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.” (Jn 4:10.)
Personally, I have drunk from rain water before; I have drunk from well water before; I have also drunk from sachet water before; I have even drunk water from Jacob’s well which was brought by a cleric who went to Jerusalem on pilgrimage and brought the water from Jacob’s well. None of them can be compared to the living water which the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about. That woman of Samaria had never had such an encounter before with Jesus Christ. She had never met with ‘This Gift of God, Jesus before.’ “If thou knewest the gift of God.”
Not many people know that this gift of God Jesus Christ spoke about was himself. And that he alone has the living water. Anyone who drinks of the living water shall not thirst again: “Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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.” (Jn 4:13-14)
This living water cannot make you thirst again. What does that mean? The living water gives eternal satisfaction and life. The living water is the Holy Spirit who constantly renews you and you never go weary. You cannot faint. No thirst again. The only giver of this spirit is Christ Jesus.

2. Many read the Bible but are not able to see Jesus who gives this living water. Many attend the places of prayers but are not able to see Jesus who can offer the living water. Many today call Jesus but have never asked for the living water – the Holy Spirit. The result is that they remain carnal and are never led by the Spirit. The Bible speaks: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom 8:5-6). When we realise this gift of God, we should ask for the living water that alone has it to give.
When Christ comes in, there is no thirst again because he is himself the living water. “I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (Jn 6:35). Here, it is made simple: he that cometh to him and he that believeth in him.
A good number of people go to places of worship without believing or truly coming to Christ. They still believe in their gods and in their oracles. What they need to do is to forsake their idols and come to Jesus Christ who has the living water, the Holy Spirit. The life of people change when they have encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and ask for the Holy Spirit. He giveth Holy Spirit free of charge.

3. The life of the woman from Samaria who came to Jacob’s well changed when she met with Jesus Christ. There was something spectacular she started to do. It was a new thing in her life; she started preaching, broadcasting the name of Jesus Christ: “The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” (Jn. 4:28-30)
When you receive and drink of this living water you have the Holy Spirit, the power to preach the Gospel. Ask today from the Lord Jesus Christ to give you the living water: to give you the Holy Spirit and you will begin to preach the Gospel of Christ.
What matters now is preaching the gospel and not whether you worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem or in Nigeria or in Europe or America or in other nations of the world. The Lord gave the command and we have to obey him, just as the woman of Samaria went to preach Christ after recognising Christ the Messiah. Christ said: “Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16:15). Paul saw this important instruction and said: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (I Cor. 9:16)

4. This living water, the Holy Spirit is the one we ought to depend upon every time and not upon our strength. When we wait upon the Holy Spirit, upon the Lord we shall surely not be weary. Hear the scriptures: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” (Is 40:31).
Many who first received Christ have fainted, grown weary and fallen back from their faith because they had not the Holy Spirit. The woman from Samaria, now filled with the Holy Spirit proclaimed Jesus with all her strength, so much that the people in the city came to Christ.
One notable feature in this living water, the Holy Spirit is that he gives boldness to preach the Gospel of Christ: See the scripture again: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel… Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” (Acts 4:8-10)
Now, let us see how the questions flow down smoothly:
(i) Have you now recognised him who has been asking you to give him, this time not water from well, but your life?
(ii) If you have recognised him, have you given him now your life?
(iii) Have you now asked for the living water, the Holy Spirit to keep you running the Christian race without being thirsty, without fainting?
(iv) If you have received the Holy Spirit have you now started to preach the Gospel of Christ with boldness?
(v) Can you now say like Paul, ‘woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel’? (I Cor. 9:16)

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Samuel Okhisare
(Archbishop)
Risen Life Evangelical Church (Inc.)