Today is National Espresso Day.

You probably haven’t joined the crowd yet, but we have become a nation of coffee drinkers, particularly of specialty coffee drinks such as lattes, frozen coffee drinks, and espressos. Consider the popularity of Starbucks—just one of many coffee companies. The company, which started in 1971 as a coffee roasting facility, has grown to more than 8,000 cafés in more than 30 countries.

The company turned the corner on its success when one of its marketing executives was traveling through Italy. Howard Schulz was inspired by the old Italian coffee bar tradition of serving freshly brewed espresso and cappuccino drinks. Schulz went back to Seattle and convinced his bosses to give his idea a chance. In 1985, the first coffee bar opened in Seattle and the coffee craze was on.

Some people will tell you that they just can’t seem to start their day without a mocha latte or a double-shot cappuccino. Without their coffee they can’t function. Or if it isn’t coffee, maybe it’s that morning cup of juice, a nice hot tea, or a frothy glass of cold milk.

Of course people really don’t need a double-shot latte to get through the day. Our daily existence doesn’t depend on whether or not we have a coffee each morning. But there is one drink that promises to do more than just get us through our day. This particular drink promises to all who drink deeply of it eternal life. And once we drink we will never be thirsty again.

Jesus offers us “living water.” The spiritual side of us needs food and water to grow and function. That means we need to nourish ourselves with God’s Word on a daily basis. We need to quench our thirst by staying connected to Jesus through prayer and Bible study.

Drink up!

Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life (John 4:14, The Message).

To Do

Enjoy your favorite beverage. Think of all the ways that knowing Jesus is like having a cold drink of water on a hot, hot day.

Also on this day

1615—French King Louis XIII married Ann of Austria. Both were only 14 years old.

1784—Zachary Taylor, the 12^th president of the United States, was born.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.