JOHN 4 SAMARITAN WOMAN - Can you imagine this woman? Troubled and weighed down by the burden of sin and pain ... unable or unwilling to stay with her husband? Picture her ... knowing that she had been married five times and none of them had lasted ... knowing that she was living with her current guy. On top of that she is a Samaritan, part of the Jewish sect who believed in their own style of worship, and who taught exclusivity from other Jews. So divisive were the Samaritans that they didnt associate with other Jews. But there sits Jesus ... by the well as the woman walks up. Jesus asks her for a drink. Now clearly, Jesus couldve gotten His own drink of water any way He wanted and without the Samaritan womans help. But He was breaking down walls here, shattering the lines of discord and divisiveness that existed between the Samaritans and other Jews. Jesus tells her about living water, one that will well up to eternal life, one that only He can give. Then He tells her plainly that He is the Messiah, the one to come. The Savior. Next He tells her that the Samaritans dont understand what they are worshipping, and He tells them that the Father seeks worshippers who worship with the heart, in Spirit and truth. The woman is infused with hope. She has spoken to God in person and she rushes off to tell her people about Jesus. How do we know that her life has been changed? She leaves her water jar. She has come a long way through dusty trails for water, but after talking to Jesus she is more consumed with the prospect of living water and off she goes. Isnt that us, friends? We come to the well of a brand new day and we believe somehow that the meager offerings of meals and drinks will satisfy us. But really, there beside us sits Jesus ... looking at us, seeing into our hearts, knowing our pain. Today lets take His offer of living water. Lets sit beside Him a while and praise God who gives so freely the gift of eternity and new life. FOOD: So many of us struggle with addictions to food. Isnt it true that in our culture we are taught from an early age that food is worth celebrating? We have dessert and think we are treating ourselves ... we long for a certain type of snack or special sweet or coffee drink. But often we have turned food into an idol. The place we turn for comfort and fulfillment. But heres the thing: Jesus wants to be that fulfillment. He wants to meet our needs so that we can make healthy choices with how we feed our bodies. (More on that later). Here Jesus tells the disciples in John 4:34 My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. Wow ... so profound, right? If obeying God was food enough for Jesus, then it ought to be the dessert we most look forward to, also. Lets focus on being filled with His food and living water today. Then we can make logical choices with the food we place in our bodies, and we will find that we are satisfied mind, body, and soul. Sounds delicious! JESUS POWER: After the Samaritan woman returned to her people, they began to believe. Not only because of what she said but because word was getting out. Jesus of Nazareth was different, He could heal people and know things others didnt know. He was the Messiah. For that reason, the royal official comes to Jesus desperate that his son be healed. Jesus sees the mans faith and heals the boy at that hour. Again, we see how important it is to believe what we ask of Jesus. He is God. He can do anything and He will do anything that might draw us closer to Him. Vs. 50 tells us that. The official took Jesus at His word. Lets go to Jesus for our fulfillment today ... lets take from Him the living water He freely offers, and do His will in all things. And lets take Him at His word ... What a wonderful way to spend a Monday! Love you all :)
Posted on: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 21:09:48 +0000
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