Water is the source of life, but it can also be the cause of death.The water that I give will become a spring welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

While part of California is burning due to lack of rain, people in West Virginia have died because of historic flooding.

In our part of Iowa, we’ve had less than twenty percent of the average amount of rain for June. I’m spending a half-hour every morning hauling water to some recently planted trees and bushes. At least I’m not having to mow the grass every three days!

Yet around this time two years ago, we received 18 inches of rain in 2 days, leading to record flooding.

Since this is corn country, we watch the effects of rain or the lack of it. Too much or too little rain and the corn is stunted. But when the right amount of rain falls at the right time, you can see the corn shoot up overnight.

Meanwhile, we grieve with the West Virginians and Californians who have lost property and loved ones. We can’t predict the weather, and we don’t understand why God allows such devastation.

But Jesus promised “living water” to the Samaritan woman so that she would never thirst again. He spoke, not of physical water, but of Himself. When we allow Him to take control of our life, He provides “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14, ESV).

And that kind of water provides comfort in the midst of life’s trials, and peace during all kinds of storms.

Note: My novelThirsting for More, which was recently a finalist in the Selah Awards, is a modern retelling of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.