Do you have pets? If so, you might have experienced filling up their water dish multiple times a day. Our dogs’ water dish is always bone dry in the mornings, so I think they must get super thirsty overnight or something. Which would explain the frantic rush to go out in the mornings. Full bladder, anyone?
I’ve noticed that if I’m in a hurry and only fill their dish up a little but they’re still thirsty, they engage in behaviors that annoy me (such as digging at the mat under their dish, scooting their dish so it clangs onto the tile floor, etc.) to get my attention and inform me of their thirst. If only they could fill their water dish themselves!! But they can’t. Lack of opposable thumbs and all that. Dangit.
One of their favorite things to do in that case is to scratch repeatedly at the back door, hoping to be let outside. (Usually in the middle of dinner prep when my hands are covered in something messy, so it’s inconvenient for me.)
We have a kiddie pool out back that we keep filled with water so they can cool off on hot days. What it really ends up being is a huge outdoor water dish, because Frasier won’t step foot in it, and Mayor ONLY steps foot in it. She never lays down.
They don’t seem to care that there are grass clippings in it, dead bugs, live bees, possible mosquito larvae…doesn’t matter. All they know is that they’re thirsty and want something to drink, and since their dish in the house is empty this is the next best thing.
Sometimes they take a nice, long drink from the pool outside, then scratch to be let in, and go right back to knocking their indoor water dish around. I guess they want good water, after all.
Other times I’ll fill the water dish almost to the top, and they couldn’t care less. They run over to sniff it and see if there are any cucumber peels inside (one of their fav snacks). When they don’t find any, they turn their nose up and go back to napping.
Because I’ve filled the dish so full, they can come back when they need water, and there’s plenty for them to drink.
I had the thought the other day that the dog’s water dish is a picture of my relationship with the Word of God. When I was a new believer, I couldn’t fill my water dish myself. I didn’t know where the tap was. I couldn’t lift the bowl to the faucet even if I found it. It felt too heavy.
But other people poured into my dish, filling it from time to time. Sometimes, when I found myself still thirsty, and there was no one with the time to help fill my dish, I would start responding with annoying behaviors, trying to let people know that I was thirsty and needed more water.
If no one took the time to fill my dish (which I would eventually learn to fill myself) then I would go and drink from the pool in the back yard, full of bugs and grass clippings, all the while knowing there was something better in the house.
And over time I would come back, knock my dish around a little, and hope someone would notice and respond by filling my bowl.
When relationships in the church are established through discipleship/mentorship, the water bowl of the new believer is pretty well filled most of the time. Sometimes it may seem like the discipler is over-filling it, but they will drink what they need and then come back for more when they are thirsty again. Even if the discipler isn’t around.
Over time, they (like I did) learn to fill their water dish themselves. But it takes time to gain confidence to lift the dish and turn on the faucet, hoping water will come out for you like it does your discipler. And how thrilling it is when you first fill your dish all by yourself!
I guess my point is, look around. See if there are people near you who need their dishes filled, and pour into them. Fill your own dish well so you have water to spare, especially if you know the good, reliable source of water. Don’t let people walk around thirsty, drinking from the pool in the back yard.
Water in the house is so much better.
2 Timothy 2:1-2
(1) Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:24-26
(24) And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
(25) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
(26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Of Faith & Fortitude 
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