In the U.S. Army’s Sabolowski Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, the standards are high, and the training is intense. Soldiers are pushed to their limits, physically and mentally, over the course of ten days that test everything from helicopter rappelling to equipment rigging. But the training culminates in something deceptively simple and brutally final: a 12-mile forced road march, done with a heavy ruck sack and under strict time constraints.
During my time in training, our instructors—the cadre—took hydration seriously. At multiple checkpoints along the march, they placed water stations. They told us again and again to drink. They weren’t just checking a box; they were trying to keep us alive.
One morning, before our day began, we stood to the side and watched the class ahead of us finish their road march. One soldier was among the first to arrive—he was almost there, just 30 feet from the finish line. But then, right before our eyes, he collapsed. His body had given out. He could no longer move.
We later learned the cause: severe dehydration. Despite the multiple water stations and repeated instructions, he had not consumed enough water to sustain him to the end.
That image stayed with me. Not just because of the physical toll—but because of the spiritual parallel.
The Water Was There—He Just Didn’t Drink
That soldier had access to more than enough water. The cadre weren’t stingy; the Army made sure hydration was available at multiple points. No one had to guess where the water would be. It was prepared, predictable, and even placed along the path.
But water doesn’t help if you don’t drink it.
And in the Christian life, we’re no different. We can be surrounded by good things—Bibles, church services, podcasts, worship songs, Christian friends—and still spiritually collapse because we haven’t actually taken in the Living Water that Jesus offers.
“If Anyone Is Thirsty…”
Jesus said in John 7:37:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Jesus didn’t say, “Let them study hydration.” He didn’t say, “Be near the fountain.” He said: come and drink.
There’s a massive difference between being around water and actually taking it in. Between hearing the truth and internalizing it. Between carrying a Bible and living by it.
Just like that soldier, many believers collapse within sight of the finish line—not because God failed them, but because they did not consume what He faithfully provided. They didn’t pause, didn’t stop, didn’t receive.
The water was there.
They just didn’t drink.
Don’t Just Do Well—Finish Well
On the day of our own road march, I was keeping pace beside the guidon bearer, the soldier who carries the unit flag. It was a good place to be. We were at the front of the formation, on time, focused, steady.
But even though I was doing well, I remembered the soldier who had collapsed. I remembered what dehydration could do—not just to the weak, but to the strong. So I made a point to slow down and drink. Not because I was tired or falling behind—but because I wanted to finish.
In our walk with Christ, it’s easy to get caught up in how we’re doing:
- Am I attending regularly?
- Am I leading well?
- Am I “keeping pace”?
But the goal isn’t to simply perform or keep up.
The goal is to finish the race. To endure. To remain in Christ all the way to the end.
And the only way to do that is to keep coming back to the well—not occasionally, but constantly.
Christian Surroundings Aren’t a Substitute
Some of the most spiritually depleted people are those doing full-time ministry. They’re immersed in Christian activity but rarely stop to drink for themselves.
You can:
- Lead worship but never worship privately.
- Teach Scripture but never submit to it.
- Encourage others while spiritually starving yourself.
- Be surrounded by living water and still die of thirst.
We forget that doing good things for God is not the same as staying with God.
This is why Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). If the Son of God needed regular time to drink deeply from the Father, how much more do we?
Stay Hydrated for the Heat Ahead
The 12-mile road march doesn’t start hard. It starts simple—footsteps on a road, boots hitting gravel, formation in sync. But as the miles build, so does the strain. And those who didn’t hydrate early find out too late that their strength is gone.
In the same way, life doesn’t always feel intense right away. But the weight accumulates.
- Unexpected grief.
- Loneliness.
- Ministry demands.
- Family strain.
- Spiritual warfare.
We can’t always see the hardest miles coming. That’s why spiritual hydration isn’t just for when things get rough. It’s for before, during, and after.
You need the Word in your system before the trial hits.
You need God’s voice in your memory before the enemy speaks lies.
You need the Spirit’s presence within you before your strength runs out.
If you wait until the breakdown, it’s already too late to catch up. Drink early. Drink often.
Jesus Is Still the Source
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, He said something remarkable:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” (John 4:13–14)
He wasn’t offering temporary relief. He was offering sustained life.
Not just something to get us through a hard day, but something to carry us through the march—to the finish line.
But it only works if we actually go to Him.
We can’t sip from man-made wells and expect to be filled.
We can’t replace intimacy with God with productivity for God.
The invitation is the same as it was 2,000 years ago:
Come to Me and drink.
What Does Drinking Look Like?
In practical terms, “drinking” the Living Water means:
- Spending time in the Word, not just for study, but for nourishment.
- Talking with God honestly, not just checking a box.
- Worshiping with your heart, not just your voice.
- Being still, not just being productive.
- Confessing sin quickly and receiving grace deeply.
- Remembering who you are, not just what you do.
It’s a posture of dependence. A lifestyle of coming back to the Source—not because you’re failing, but because you know where your strength comes from.
Conclusion: Don’t Collapse with the Finish Line in Sight
The soldier who collapsed didn’t lack courage. He didn’t lack determination. He lacked water.
And so do we, when we ignore the Source and try to march on our own.
Jesus is the Living Water.
He’s available. He’s sufficient. He’s near.
But you have to pause long enough to receive Him.
You don’t have to be falling apart to need Him.
You can be walking strong, keeping pace, and still be drying up inside.
So whether you’re feeling strong today or barely making it—drink.
Don’t wait until your knees buckle and your vision blurs.
Drink while the well is full.
Drink while you’re moving.
Drink now, so you can finish later.
Because the finish line is coming.
And you don’t want to collapse with eternity in sight. You want to finish well.
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