John 7:37-38 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
It’s 5:00 pm, and the young hostess mentally calculates how long it will be before she can crawl into bed. The day’s already been long, and in another hour, a dozen people will walk through her front door for their weekly small group. She’s been up longer than the setting sun, caring for the needs of others, and now, she’s tired, bone-tired, and her day’s far from over.
She believes in the necessity of Christian community, and she’s seen hearts change and friendships blossom around her living room rug. As much as she loves her people and enjoys spending time with them in the Word, she wonders how she’ll muster the energy she needs when she feels depleted herself. But there’s no time to slow down now—the floors are a mess, the baby’s crying, and the cookies still need to go into the oven.
Have you ever felt that way?
Your circumstances may be different, but you know the fatigue of days consumed in service to others. You long for a time of rest, whether it’s an evening or a season, when there are no butts to wipe, meals to fix, or guests to entertain—and those times are good and necessary. But how do you go on when there’s no rest in sight? How do you keep pouring yourself out to others as a love offering?
In the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, a drink offering often accompanied a burnt or grain offering. It capped off a sacrifice and symbolized giving the best of your portion to the Lord. As we stand over our sacrificial acts of love and service, we may feel like that drink offering—poured out to the very last drop. But to keep pouring, we need to refill continually, and God offers a bottomless supply of love.
In Romans 5:5, Paul writes, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” This isn’t a picture of a small trickle, but a never-ending Niagara Falls of love flowing from God to us. It’s from his overflowing love that we’re able to offer love to others. This is similar to Jesus’ words, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38).
When the rest we need is hours or miles away, and the needs of others still knock at our door, we can find the strength to meet them by refreshing our souls in God’s love. As we meditate on his Word and pray, the Spirit fills us again, and his love overflows.
To continually offer our lives as love offerings to God and others, we must keep drinking deeply from the fountain of living water—God’s Word. Then, like the young hostess, weary and tired, but opening her door, we can welcome others not from our strength, but from a heart brimming with the love of Christ—ready to be poured out once more.
About the Author:
Cara Ray is a writer, Bible teacher, and founder of The Writers’ Bloc, a community and podcast dedicated to helping Christian women grow in both the art and heart of writing. Her work has been featured on Desiring God, Challies.com, and the YouVersion Bible App. Cara’s first book, The Pursuit of Holy Leisure: Enjoying God in Everyday Places, is set to release in March 2026. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with her husband of twenty-eight years, and she has four amazing kids.
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