Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thurs. Devo - Water to a Dry and Thirsty Land

Read John 4: 7-42
I know I'm deviating from our study, but I want to keep chasing this rabbit till I have it in some type of closure.
So what would Jesus say to a woman who has used her body for all the wrong reasons and found herself drowning in shame and no way to get out? He would say, "give me what you have". That is what he told the woman at the well. The only thing she had was a pail to gather water in and that is what Jesus asked of her. She is surprised that a Jew would have anything to do with her a woman and a Samarian at that. She feels shame and unworthiness and has to address that before she can even think of what he asked her. Jesus doesn't even comment on her question, he goes straight to the point. If she knew that he was God and that he could give her salvation - "living water", she would be asking him for it. She wants to know IF he can produce this "living water" what is he going to put it in and who is HE to produce this magical "living water"? Is he greater than Jacob? (I think so!)
Jesus, of course, by-passes her question and speaks to her soul. He knows that she is a dry soul, thirsting for love and life. He explains that this "living water" will not come from an outside source, but be a well INSIDE her which will give her eternal life. She is thirsty enough to believe him.
I wonder why Jesus told her to go get her husband. Was this a test to see what she would say. He obviously knew she had been with 6 men, at least. I think he was using this to build her faith in him. Now she thinks he's a prophet and asks him a religious question. (Like: "what church do you go to?" - we get that all the time) Jesus used this religious question to tell her that you must worship God in spirit and truth, not in the right location. He finally came right out and told her that he was the Messiah. She goes and gets the city to come hear him and many believe.
Jesus went against the protocol of the times and spoke alone, eyeball to eyeball to a Samaritan lady who was living in sin. He came to save the lost, all of them. He never saw her through her sin he saw her thirsty heart. If your heart has been broken and left dry, Jesus offers you "living water" which will forever quench that thirst for love and acceptance. Let his salvation heal you. Then go tell someone - or go tell your whole city!

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