A Cup of Water

Matthew 10:42 "whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly I say to you he shall by no means lose his reward."

This verse probably means little to anyone in the states where everyone can get a drink of water whenever they want. Today it is common to see people walking around carrying bottles of water. So this verse may seem a bit odd that it would be so important to give someone a drink of water, but in a country like Haiti, water is precious.  It is hot all the time. People walk everywhere, sometimes for hours. There is no water, and most of the time if there is water, the question is, "Is it safe to drink?"

I remember one of my walks up the mountains of Haiti. We walked for several hours, sun beating down on us, dust flying with every step. We had walked up one mountain, our tongues parched. We hadn't had anything to drink for several hours. At the top of the mountain was a mango tree. Those mangoes were so good! They provided a bit of fluid so we could continue our walk. We still had a few hours to walk to arrive at our destination. What a blessing when the hostess offered us some water to drink!

I remember Patrick telling the story when he and a group of guys were walking to a village. They had not had a drink for many hours when they spotted a house on the hill. They went there hoping to find a drink of water. The lady was pleased to serve them. When she gave the them the glass of water, they saw small "things" floating around in the water. They looked for a bit, not sure if they wanted to drink it. But they realized she had given out of her poverty. They closed their eyes, prayed, and drank the water. Refreshed they continues on their journey.

A cup of water in the States doesn't seem like anything, and especially not to receive a reward for it. But in a parched land, a cup of water is a refreshing gift.

So for those of us who know God's Word, We have living water, and how selfish not to share it. People need a cup of water, living water. Yes, let's give a cup of water to the thirsty, but let's not forget to give a cup of living water, God's Word.

God bless you