If you knew....

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."  ~John 4:10

If you knew.  I look at my teenage children and have often thought that.  If only you knew how your choices are impacting your future.  If only you knew that your decision to remain stubborn rather than to humble yourself was only hurting you.  If only you knew how your words said in anger affected those around you.  If only you knew that this heartache would pass, and that God has a truly special person out there for you.  The teen years are hard.

But I wonder how many times Jesus says to me, "If only you knew"?  His word tells us that He has so many gifts for us.  He offers the gift of hope (Jeremiah 29:11), the gift of rest (Mathew 11:28-29), the gift of peace (Proverbs 1:33, John 14:27), the gift of strength (Isaiah 40:29-31), and the gift of supplying for our needs (Philippians 4:19).  The best gift of all is the gift of eternal life with Him (Romans 6:23).  And yet so many of us don't ask for, and as a result don't receive, these gifts.  

Jesus points out that the woman didn't know the gifts that God was offering.  We don't have that excuse.  Everything He offers is spelled out for us in His Word, including how to accept the gifts.  Isn't it time we quit trying to quench our thirst with something that isn't lasting and start quenching it with something that is?