John 4:7–26 ‘Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.’ (v14)
The encounter that Jesus has with the woman at the well is full of surprises. A Jewish man – a rabbi – speaking with a woman who is not a close family member – alone? Scandalous!
No wonder the disciples were taken aback when they re-joined Him (v27). The woman is drawing water at a time when the other women wouldn’t be at the well.
We find out why when Jesus reveals that she has had a number of husbands and is not married to the man she’s currently with.
We can imagine the gossip, the remarks, that she probably had to endure in the culture of the times.
Interestingly, her circumstances are known to Jesus, but nothing – not His own tiredness, social conventions, or her broken backstory – stops Him from reaching out to her with the greatest gift of all: the offer of eternal life.
Many people met with Jesus because of the woman’s testimony (vv39–41). What a life-changing encounter it was for her – and others!
Sometimes we can feel that we are beyond the reach of God; that He doesn’t notice us. Maybe we believe He can’t use us in His kingdom.
Perhaps it’s because of something we’ve done; we simply don’t feel ‘good enough’. But we don’t have to be ‘good enough’.
We just have to be willing to meet with the One who loves us, uniquely and individually, and who equips us for life in His service; the One who does not condemn us, but who offers us the gift of ‘living water’, the Holy Spirit, when we ask Him.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, thank You for loving and accepting me. I come to You now, asking You to fill me with Your living water. Enable me to help others to encounter You today. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Do you need to ask Jesus to fill you again with His Spirit,
so that God’s life will spill out from you to people who need to encounter Jesus for themselves?
Scripture To Consider:
Gen. 16:1–13; Jer. 2:1–13; Matt. 28:16–20; Acts 1:1–8
