When Margie Littell was younger, she used to help out at her father’s doctor’s surgery. One day, when the town was in the throes of the latest “bug”, a young mum brought in her very sick little baby. Dr Littell took one look at the baby, dehydrated from the effects of the bug, and rushed him straight into the surgery where he proceeded to give him emergency injections of fluid under the skin. This saved the little baby’s life. He had lapsed into unconsciousness and was barely alive.
He was then sent to hospital where he completed his recovery.
In my work with native animals I had occasion to similarly treat some very small and sick kangaroo joeys. One weighed less than 2 pounds, all were not much bigger. Some were unresponsive, the rest were “flat”: they were not interested in life, nor food. With their tiny weights, they didn’t need a lot of fluid to make a big difference, but all of them responded so well. Back to having light in their eyes, and looking for food, and it gave their little systems the help they needed to start recovering on their own.
I have seen it too with domestic animals that have suffered from gastric disturbances. A trip to the vet, an injection of fluids, and there is your old friend back, with a spring in his/her step, and an interest in food again. And relief in your own heart.
When you think about it, this is what the Gospel does. It acts like water under the skin of a (spiritually) dying person. We all have different conversion stories to look back on. Sometimes it was quick, like someone switched on the light, others tell you of a longer time that God worked on them, with no definite time of “it” happening, it was so gradual.
But in all, the person realised their wretchedness, how they were dead in their sins, and how God was their only hope. How they needed to turn to Him, and the wonder of Jesus paying the price for Him. And that through His blood, they were saved. Literally or metaphorically they fell on their knees in gratitude, and prayed the equivalent of God be merciful to me a sinner.
And their lives were changed. Irrevocably, and immediately.
Jesus promised us in John 4 that He would give us water that would be living and we would never thirst again. Jesus is the Rock, and from Him, the Water flows. The Water of Life. It is indeed life to us.
What a great God we have!
Light of Christ 