September 16, 2011
Bible Study Verse
John 4:14
"But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (NIV)Thoughts
I have a friend who shared the same passion for hiking as I do. We would meet once a month and hike part of the Lone Star Hiking Trail in the Sam Houston National Forest.
On one summer Saturday we were hiking a five mile section of the trail along with a group of other hikers. The heat and humidity in southeast Texas can be stifling at this time of year.
At the time I was still a neophyte in hiking. I packed one pint sized bottle of water along with other items in my backpack and thought I was ready for the trail. Within about a mile and a half I was feeling the heat, falling behind the rest of the group. Ken would break off from the rest of the group periodically checking on me, cautioning me to drink water regularly, however I was out of water.
At about the two mile mark there was about an eighth-of-a-mile off-shoot that led to a parking spot along the trail. One of the hikers who had left her car in this parking spot, volunteered to lead me to the parking lot. Ken gave me his car keys. She then drove me to where we had left Ken's car and I was able to go somewhere and get rehydrated. I was very close to heat exhaustion. A cold drink and air-conditioning never felt so good.
(Tom B)
Action Point
Not packing enough water was really stupid on my part. Without the extra water that I was able to attain, I would have been in serious trouble.
Without God's replenishing water along the trail of life, our lives can be in serious trouble. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isa. 55:1
The waters that flow from Jesus Christ keep us spiritually hydrated. We will never thirst if we drink from His spring. How do we replenish ourselves from Christ's water? By reading of His Holy Word regularly and applying the wisdom to our lives and by letting His grace soak into us from the out flowing of Christian worship, prayer and attendance in where His Words are taught.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
You need at least three quarts of water per day. Check with your doctor on your specific need to be safe. . Before hiking, hunting, fishing in the hot summer, drink plenty of water to get your body well hydrated before you depart on the trip. A hydration system that carries water on your back, such as Camelbak, is a popular, flexible way to take water along instead of carrying water bottles.
