Living water

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then, the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:7-10 NKJV

Living water

Spiritual truths are often difficult for us to grasp and Jesus knew this woman was in desperate need for the gift He had ready for her.

But she was focused upon the material.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, You, have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” John 4:11-12 NKJV

Is she mocking Jesus here?

We do not know the tone in which she asked Him if He was “greater than… Jacob”, but she doesn’t seem impressed by His words.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but 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 4:13-14 NKJV

This got her attention.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:15 NKJV

And here we see Jesus bringing her to a crossroads.

To be free from the sin in our lives we have to admit it is there, we must realize we are sinners.

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” John 4:16-18 NKJV

Here it is.

Her sin is sitting before them.

Her life is one of brokenness.

And she doesn’t deny it, she knows she is a sinner.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Why did she suddenly veer off onto this topic?

Perhaps because it was a bondage for her, maybe this teaching had caused her heart to become hardened.

We don’t know, but Jesus deals with it and returns her to the point.

 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-24 NKJV

Jesus clarifies the heart of this “where should we worship” question with how to worship: in spirit and truth.

He’s turning her heart away from a religious act, which fulfills an outward show, and goes to the place God cares about, her soul.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jon 4:25 NKJV

Finally! She’s come back to the point Jesus had all along, but now her heart is ready.

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:26 NKJV

The Living Water, the answer to mankind’s separation from God is sitting before her.

The truth of Jesus, what He said, what He did, how He has redeemed those who call upon His name, and so much more is the life-giving water which becomes a spring of water welling up into eternal life.

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 NKJV

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 NKJV

This woman’s life was changed forever.

And the living water is free to those who would believe.

For those of who have already believed and tasted of this water this story is our own.

We were sinners, we met Jesus, our lives were changed.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this wonderful story of the woman at the well. Lord, thank You for meeting her there and for meeting each one of us. Thank You that You are not a God who stands far off, but instead You meet us where we need it most. Lord, I can not imagine what this woman’s life would have looked like if she had scoffed at Your “living water” comment, picked up her jars and left. I am so glad she didn’t. Lord, please do not allow us to walk away from You. Please do not let us harbor sin or misunderstanding, bitterness or anything which would hinder us from being able to hear Your truth and drink of Your living water. Lord Jesus, there is such need all around. Lord, let those who thirst find themselves at Your well. Lord, please help those of us who have tasted and know You are good to share with those around us. Please help us to live transparently as Your servants to a world which needs You. Lord, thank You for Your salvation, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for truth. May we worship You in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Raining

I awoke to the sound of thunder.

I dashed out in my nightgown, robe, and Anne’s flip-flops.

I’d neglected bringing in a few things last night and rain wouldn’t do them any good.

Thankfully, it had just begun to sprinkle.

By the time I was back in my bedroom it was raining hard.

I opened the curtains to watch it come down.

I love the rain.

Something has mixed inside of me.

My childhood spent in the desert, my experiences of little or no water, and my love of plants has created a deep appreciation for rain.

An appreciation for both the physical benefits and the Biblical lessons.

It reminds me of what Jesus has done for me.

First, He cleansed me from sin with His sacrifice.

Second, He is continually washing away the stain of sin upon my heart and mind. He renews my soul through His Word and His truths.

Third, He is constantly growing me. His presence in my life has been more than just a “regular watering” plants need to thrive. He has poured into me so much that I natural want to pour out into others.

Truly, a well of life.

John 4:14 NKJV — “but 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.”

I praise God for He reigns in my life.

His faithfulness is everlasting and His truth is endures to all generations.

“Thank You, Jesus, for rain.”

8 days till Christmas

Psalm 23:2-3a NKJV — He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

For a sheep to lie down in green pastures means two things

First, they have eaten their fill.

Second, there’s more available the moment they want to stand up and eat again.

Jesus said, “I am that bread of life.” John 6:48 KJV

Still water is the only kind most sheep will go near. They are afraid of moving water since they are not built to swim.

John 4:14 NKJV — “but 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.”

Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross paid for every sin and saves us from eternal death.

His life gives us abundant spiritual bread and water.

John 6:35 KJV — And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Truly, Jesus restores the soul.

While celebrating the birth of our Savior, let us recall the beauty of salvation and the joy which comes from freedom from the bonds of sin and death.

Psalm 51:12 KJV — Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Pictures today can be either hay and a watering trough, or bread and a water jar. Both would be expected in a place which housed animals and people.

Play, listen, and or sing Away in a Manger.

While enjoying this Christmas carol let your heart meditate upon the truths we’ve already looked at. First, Jesus is the Lamb of God. Secondly, the manger wasn’t a mistake, but a purposeful picture. Third, Jesus’s death and resurrection restores our souls from sin and death.

Jump in!

At times,

it takes,

the guts,

to jump in.

Sometimes it is learning to swim.

Other times it involves some thought before the plunge.

But “it” doesn’t happen unless you jump.

What am I talking about?

life

So often we have to choose to do,
to go,
to try,
to risk.

I can hear the doubts.

“What if…?”

And there is a question that needs to be asked but it isn’t that one.

“What is God’s will for me?”

It seems like that should be simple, but at times God can seem very quiet.

For me those times are an invitation to seek Him.

But once I have the answer I still have a choice.

Do I choose to get wet?
Do I choose to follow what I have been told?
Do I choose to trust Him?

To my shame I have spent a lot of time staring at the water.

But those times I obeyed the still small voice I found,

that I often
was drowning.

I had obeyed but now what?!

And in every one of those times (when I stopped flailing my arms and sucking in water) God’s life vest was securely strapped around me.

I am learning to enjoy the plunge.

Life is more than being comfortable or even safe.

Because no matter the risk, my life isn’t life at all without Him.

And to disobey what I know I am supposed to do is refusing to live.

Because it isn’t my life anyway.

It’s a gift.

How I use the gift
reflects on the Giver.

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:3-4