“Those who drink the water that I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring with in them giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 (NLT)
Jesus sat resting at Jacob’s well. In the middle of the day a Samaritan woman approached the well. Jesus spoke to her and asked her for a drink. She was taken back by this, because in this culture a man would not speak to a woman and definitely not a Samaritan woman. Jesus and she begin talking of the water in the well and He then speaks of the “water” He is offering.
This woman has had several husbands and was currently with a man who was not her husband. I used to think she was a woman who made bad choices or was difficult to get along with. But when you look deeper into the culture of this time, a woman could not pick her own husband, nor did she have the choice to divorce. A woman could not support herself, she needed a husband to provide for her. If at any time, for any reason a man decided he didn’t want his wife He could divorce her with a simple declaration, “I divorce her.” This would leave her abandoned on the street with nothing.
This woman had not been enough for 5 husbands and was now with a man who didn’t care enough for her to make her his wife. Could you imagine, never being enough? Being discarded over and over? Then, Jesus offers her the living water. A provision that is never ending. Something that she could not earn or receive from her own hand or from a man. This water is quenching, lasting, cleansing and filling.
I’m thinking about my own life and how often I look to other people or things to provide and satisfy me. My own insecurities lead me to want to be accepted, loved and cared for by others. I can easily look to entertainment, food, shopping, or even my own abilities to satisfy a need that only Jesus can fill.
With Jesus I have purpose. I am accepted. With Jesus I am able. He provides for my every need. His presence gives me hope and peace. He strengthens me. He comforts me. He heals me. He cleanses me. He protects and defends me. He goes with me.
Thank you Lord, for the never ending, filling and always satisfying living water that flows through my life. I pray today that your presence would be with me and in me and that it would flow out of me to bring life to others. I pray today that my words and actions would bring life and hope to those around me. And let me never take the living water you give lightly. Thank you for the life it gives. Amen.
What is God speaking to you today in John 4? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.