The Bible Scriptures reference many stories and teach us countless lessons about water, showing that even in the past, people faced water scarcity and relied on God’s care to help them.

“Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” (Exodus 17:6)

When the Israelites were walking in the dessert after leaving Egypt, they were facing severe thirst and fear of death because they didn’t have any water sources. They complained to Moses and doubted and questioned their faith in God’s care but then God responded miraculously and provided them with water from a rock at Horeb telling Moses to “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” This moment shows water as a divine gift from God which is essential for our survival. It teaches us that in times of trouble and in this case, water scarcity, we must trust and keep our faith in God’s providence and ensure that we hold responsibility for the people around us and care for them as well.

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them.” (Isaiah 41:17)

During Israel’s exile and time of immense hardship in which they longed desperately for physical relief and spiritual restoration, Isaiah spoke to the Israel people and gave them a promise of hope that God would not abandon them. Even though this verse doesn’t include water scarcity directly, it teaches us that God’s care for those who are the poorest and most vulnerable is his top-most priority. This moment teaches us that water scarcity is not just an environmental issue, but also a moral one, calling for us to act on it with justice and compassion towards the most vulnerable and the ones who suffer the most.

“O God… I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary and where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

When David is running stranded in the wilderness of Judah, he uses these words to describe the setting and his situation where he longs for God, his body thirsts for water and his soul thirsts for God’s presence and care. This imagery of his suffering reflects the same of those today who live without a reliable and safe water source. It teaches us that water scarcity reveals our dependence on God and our dependence on each other for spiritual and physical sustenance. It shows how essential water is for survival for all living things on our planet and it explains that water scarcity is not just a physical struggle, but also a spiritual suffering and emptiness. It says that just as we can’t live without water, we also can’t live without God and this shows that water access is not only a physical, but also a spiritual right for all life in our world.

“They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)

These words of Jeremiah were messages to Israel because at that time, the Israel people had turned their faith away from God and started worshipping and putting their trust in false gods and foreign powers. During this time, cisterns (large storages of water) were vital in dry places like Judah, but “cracked cisterns” could not hold water, leaving people empty and vulnerable, suffering without water. Jeremiah uses this imagery and figurative language to show that Israel’s rejection and abandoning of God left them spiritually dry and without life. It uses this language to show that God is a necessary part of their survival, and water represents life, blessings, and power. In these words, “the fountain of living waters” is God himself and he represents the true and vital source of life that never runs dry. And during this time, when the people turned away from God they chose fake substitutes, they chose “cracked cisterns that can hold no water” who can never satisfy, care, and provide for them like God. This connects to water scarcity because it shows that when we misuse, waste, or selfishly use water resources, we might satisfy ourselves, but we leave many more people empty, without what they need to survive and what they deserve equally just as we do. So, this message teaches us that water is a resource meant for sharing for everything in our world, and that we must reflect God in ourselves by living as stewards and care four our precious water that He provides.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1)

This moment shows Jogn’s vision of the New Jerusalem where creation is restored at the end of time, where God’s presence is waiting with healing, peace, and life for all. This vision of hope shows ultimate abundance, in this case, water, but it also reminds us to work toward fairness and sustainability to sustain this abundance for generations. It teaches us that scarcity is opposing to God’s plan and our task and top-most priority while we live and breathe on this soil is to help ensure that water flows abundantly and safely for every community, lasting water for as long as until the end of time.