Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” John 4:13–14
I have always been a hopeless tinkerer—a weekend warrior—so from the time our daughters were young, they were my helpers. Early on, I tried to impress on them that helping me was not to be taken as work but as a privilege. Over the years, my girls became my helpers. And over the years, they became good at it.
One of the things they would tell you today about their help with my projects was their work as gophers. While I was standing on a stepladder or neatly tucked under the bathroom sink, it was such a luxury to have them retrieve just the right tool for me. Early in their lives, they learned how to identify a pipe wrench, a caulking gun, a framing square, a chalk line, or a cat’s paw. I taught them that even though you can use a hammer to drive a screw, it’s always best to use a screwdriver—the right, custom-made tool for the job.
Jesus had an interesting encounter with a Samaritan woman. As their conversation unfolded, Jesus helped this woman understand that her problem was a sensual one; she was a veteran of five husbands and was living with a man who wasn’t hers. “Sensual” would have been the understatement of the day.
So when Jesus offered this woman hope in a way she’d understand, he offered “living water” to permanently quench her thirst from sensuous passion. He used just the right words, the right understanding, the right “tool” for the job.
In the previous chapter, Jesus was engaged in a late-night conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Here was a man who was proud of his chosen lineage, vain by virtue of his heritage. Jesus told this man that he needed to be “born again” (3:7). Here was another custom-made solution to fit an exact need.
When a rich man came to Jesus looking for another arrow for his bulging quiver, Jesus told him to sell everything and follow Him. He didn’t offer the man living water or tell him he needed to be born again; Jesus custom-fit His recommendation to the man’s particular compulsion.
Now, I have a question for you. If Jesus were to join you for lunch today, and if He were to custom-make His presentation of hope and salvation to you, what would He say? What would He propose? Friendship for your loneliness? Hope for your sagging heart? Clean thoughts for your tortured brain? Rest for your exhaustion? Order for the chaos? Or comfort for your fear?
Whatever it is for you, God is already ready to make you an offer. He knows exactly what you needed yesterday, what you need today, and what you’ll need tomorrow. God always uses just the right tool for the job. His salvation is custom-made. For you and for me.