THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.

A Water Bearer

By J. D. Quinn

March 22nd, 2026

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14

Six years old, and a typical farm boy, I was fascinated with pickups, tractors, and big trucks. Back then, we didn’t have self-propelled combines. At harvesting time, Daddy used a tractor to pull the combine. As the bins filled, he would make a pass by the waiting bobtail truck to dump the grain.

Oh, how I wanted to drive that equipment. I felt like a big boy, and I wanted big-boy responsibilities. Unfortunately, Daddy didn’t seem to see things from my perspective, so I was consigned to the field duty of “water boy.”

I’ll never forget the excessive heat of the July day when things changed. I’d been busy keeping everyone hydrated. And now, I sat idly in the cab of the bobtail truck with the windows rolled down, watching a wavering cloud of wheat chaff above the grain bin being filled so far away.

Suddenly, I noticed Daddy standing on the hood of the tractor, motioning his hands in unison like they were on a steering wheel. Back then there were no cell phones or two-way radios. I struggled to interpret his actions. Could it be? Did he actually want me to drive that big truck out in the field to his position? Peering into the distance at his continued motions, I decided this was my opportunity.

I turned the ignition, found a gear, and pressed the accelerator. Whoops—wrong gear. Trying again, the truck lunged forward and my only thought was to not run into the equipment as I approached my father. He made the dump into the bobtail bed, gulped the contents of the tin cup of cold water I handed him, gave me a slight smile, and returned to His harvest work.

I did it! And I was determined to continue my elevated role—nothing was about to get me out of that truck. Sitting in the field, I realized part of the harvest haze was more than chaff—it was large clouds of gnats. Those irritating little creatures began to fill the cab, buzzing my eyes and nose. I rolled up the windows to try to keep them out. Whew, it was scorching hot! I sweated profusely, but happily endured the heat to maintain my new position of trust.

That night, Daddy said, “You did really well today, Son.” I had permanently graduated from water boy. Well, at least, in the physical realm.

Today, in the spiritual realm, I’m quite satisfied to be a water bearer in God’s harvest field. Introducing others to His source of Living Water is my greatest privilege and purpose. The conditions of this old world are scorching, and there sure seems to be a lot of irritating gnats buzzing His laborers. But, I’m aboard and not about to give up my position of trust. When night time comes, I look forward to hearing my Heavenly Father say, “You did well, My faithful servant. Enter into my joy.”