water drop 5 by macleod at sxc.hu
When was the last time you paused to thank God for safe drinking water?
When was the last time you considered the luxury of a hot shower?
Most of us reading this post can get water by walking to our kitchen sink. Many of us have bottled water in our refrigerator. We have two or three bathrooms in the house with a toilet and a hot shower.
In the church we have missionaries come or benevolent ministries send letters and they talk about their well projects or the need to provide safe drinking water. We don’t realize that for much of the world, the poor developing nations of Africa and Oceania safe water is a rarity.
Let these statistics sink into your mind. . .
- 780 million people lack access to clean water. That is more than 2.5 times the United States Population.
- 3.4 million people die each year from a water related disease. That is almost the entire city of Los Angeles.
- Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.
- More people have a mobile phone in the world than a toilet!
- An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
- Diarrhea is the 2nd leading cause of death among children under five in the world. Around 1.5 million deaths each year – nearly one in five – are caused by diarrhea.
- Every day in developing countries women and children walk an average of 4 miles to obtain water for their family.
My thoughts . . .
- This is astounding, I did not know this information until I ran across it this morning. I had no idea it was such a problem.
- “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Jesus Christ – Luke 12:48 We have a responsibility that comes with our abundant blessings. We need to help the poor and hurting when we can. Support brotherhood groups that are using this need as an opportunity to share the gospel. Healing Hands International has been successful with a solution to the crisis.
- Be thankful. Could you imagine walking four miles a day for water? Can you contemplate suffering through your child dying of diarrhea? This problem makes the things we complain about in America seem so petty.
- Pray. Join me today in praying for those who are suffering through poor sanitation and the lack of safe drinking water. May they have greater access to these physical necessities, but chiefly pray for them to know the Lord who can provide everlasting water (John 4:13-14).
So when you walk to the sink or jump in a hot shower later today, pause a moment and be thankful for the water you have!
Would you like to share about those who are helping those without safe water and sanitation?
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Sources
www.water.org
www.hhl.org/water/why
