Are you soaking or drying out?

What you soak in is what spills out — and God wants to fill you again.

📖 SCRIPTURE

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst… it will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” — John 4:14

📝 BIBLE STUDY / DEVOTIONAL

A Sponge in the Hands of God

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

It’s true — but lately I’ve been thinking that maybe we aren’t cups at all.

Maybe we’re sponges.

Soft, absorbent, created to soak up whatever we’re placed in.

And the truth is… our lives work the same way.

We soak up whatever we spend the most time in.

If we soak in stress, fear, and the noise of the world — that’s what spills out of us.

If we soak in anger and negativity — that’s what drips from our lives into the lives of others.

But if we soak in God’s Word, His truth, His peace, His presence…

then when life squeezes us — and it will — it’s His goodness that comes pouring out.

A Sponge Doesn’t Pour — It Leaks What It Absorbs

Think of a brand-new sponge in the palm of your hand.

Soft. Flexible. Thirsty.

Dip it into water and suddenly it becomes heavy, full, ready.

You can squeeze it and water runs out effortlessly.

You don’t have to force it. You don’t have to try.

Whatever has been absorbed comes out freely.

Now picture that same sponge left on the counter for days.

Dry. Hard. Brittle.

Easily cracked. Easily torn.

Unable to pour anything helpful into anyone.

Not because it’s bad…

but because it’s empty.

Isn’t that us?

When we sit in God’s presence…

When we soak in His Word…

When we stay close enough to hear His voice…

We remain soft in His hands.

But when we rush, neglect Him, and fill our minds with everything but His truth…

we become dry, irritable, easily broken, and spiritually fragile.

God Is the Living Water — and His Well Never Runs Dry

Unlike a cup that empties and waits to be refilled,

a sponge can stay saturated as long as it remains in the source.

Jesus said:

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” — John 4:14

His presence isn’t a tiny cup — it’s a fountain.

A stream.

A continual flow.

Stay near Him… stay full.

Check Your Sponge Daily

Every day, give your heart a small squeeze.

What comes out?

Irritation?

Weariness?

Resentment?

Worry?

Or…

Peace?

Gentleness?

Grace?

Love?

The fruit of His Spirit?

Whatever leaks out reveals what you’ve been soaking in.

If it isn’t Jesus…

you simply need to soak again.

And the beauty of God?

He never scolds a dry sponge.

He simply invites it back into the water.

Sit with Him.

Let Him soften what’s hardened.

Let Him fill what’s empty.

Let Him make you usable again.

Because the sponge isn’t the source — He is.

And when you remain saturated in Him,

He can pour out everything He placed inside you

right when someone else needs it most.

💭 REFLECTION

What have you been soaking in lately — the world’s noise or God’s presence?

Your answer shows up not in your intentions but in your reactions.

🙏 PRAYER

Lord, draw me back into Your presence.

Soften the dry places of my heart and saturate me with Your truth, Your peace, and Your Spirit.

Let what comes out of me reflect You, not the world.

Keep me close, keep me full, and keep me usable in Your hands.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

🛠️ PRACTICAL STEP

Set a 5-minute “soak moment” today.

Open your Bible, read a single verse slowly, and sit with God in silence.

Five minutes of soaking can change an entire day of spilling.

💌 INVITE A FRIEND

Know someone feeling spiritually dry?

Forward this email and help them soak in something that fills instead of drains.