The All Time Greatest Energy Drink

by Tad Lindley

Just reading the title, you might have certain brands running through your mind: Jolt, Amp, Rock Star, Red Bull, and others. Actually, those are not even energy drinks. They are “restless” drinks. They don’t give you any more energy than drinking a glass of Kool-Aid or a can of pop. All they do is make you feel like you have more energy, because they have a little extra caffeine. On top of that, there is the psychological effect of having spent all that money for a can of liquid, you want to tell yourself it was worth it.
The Eskimo energy drink
Ounce for ounce, you can’t beat it. It’s a food, a drink, a medicine, a heat source, a preservative, and at times, a two stroke engine oil. It’s the official energy drink of Central Yupikdom and many other Eskimo cultures across time: seal oil.
Sixteen ounces of seal oil can take a person a whole lot farther than 16 gallons of Full Throttle. Seal oil is pure energy-loaded fat. No water, no corn syrup, no caffeine, just high density lipids, ready to clean out your heart, keep you warm, and give your body the energy it needs to go the distance.
The drink that Moses drank
When the Jewish people were in the wilderness they got thirsty. Guess what, they didn’t crack open a can of Doubleshot, they had a better energy drink. They weren’t sipping Sobe or guzzling Go Girl, they drank from the Rock. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (I Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV)
I am not going to sugar coat it: the Israelites made some bad mistakes. In spite of all of that though, they were able to go for 40 years totally dependent on God. They ate manna, a food that came down from heaven every day, and they drank from the rock that followed them: Jesus. He was their energy drink.
On at least two occasions Moses approached the rock to bring water to Israel. In the first case, under God’s instruction, Moses struck the rock with his staff, and water came forth for the people of Israel (Exodus 17:6). The second time, God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, and water would come forth. Unfortunately, instead of speaking to the rock, Moses hit the rock twice. Water still came forth, but Moses never made it into the promised land as a result of his disobedience. (Numbers 20:7-12).
Drinking from the Rock
Isaiah recorded a most beautiful prophecy in his writings. And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:1-3)
Humanity struck the Rock at the cross. Not only did literal water come forth from Jesus’ body at the cross (John 19:34), but salvation spread to all men from the carnage of Calvary. God was angry at humanity, but his anger was turned away at the cross as he became a propitiation for our sin.
Because Jesus gave himself, humanity does not have to strike the rock again. All we need to do is speak to him. Jesus told the woman at the well, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that said to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water. (John 4:10)
Better than seal oil
As good as seal oil is, the living water of Jesus Christ is a better energy drink. Jesus will clean out your heart. That is why Ananias said to the Apostle Paul, arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16) Jesus will keep you warm: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus will give you the energy you need to go the distance and you too will be able to say, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)
Next time you are tired and need a pick me up, you don’t need a Rock Star, you need to drink from the Rock of Ages. You don’t need a Red Bull, you need the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Full Throttle can’t move you like the Fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). Doubleshot won’t do for you what the One God can (Ephesians 4:6). You don’t need No Fear, you need to Know Fear (Proverbs 1:7). Jesus Christ is the greatest energy drink you will ever drink.
Tad Lindley is a minister at the United Pentecostal Church in Bethel, Alaska.