Devotionals

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Devotion based on John 4:1-42


During the years of 1987 and 1988, my husband Ray and I served as associate missionaries in Mexico. One of the great blessings of those two years was the pleasure of meeting many different people, both Mexican nationals and North Americans serving on work-teams. A place called Rancho Betania was begun in 1987. The purpose was to develop a retreat center for churches in Northwest Mexico. It was Sonoran high desert land with jumping cactus, tarantulas, scorpions, and one shade tree on 800 acres.

On one of the short visits to the ranch we were with a volunteer couple. It was an emotional journey for this couple. Back in the 1970’s when their son was 17 and invited on a 6-week hike in Southwest Mexico with a friend, the two ran into trouble with Montezuma’s revenge, a very common experience for North Americans. Tragically, neither young man recognized the symptoms of de-hydration. The companion was anxious to get his friend to the nearest town and medical care. They did not make it in time. The sad fact that they were walking along a stream for much of the journey was painful for those who knew him. For if they had known, the young man’s life would likely have been saved by lying down in the stream for awhile.

We walk alongside many in our days who are suffering from spiritual thirst. They have not yet met the one who has living water to give. Often, the signs of spiritual thirst are misread and just as when we ignore our physical thirst, there are consequences to deal with.

In the scripture passage today, Jesus teaches us to receive this gift of living water, to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to be involved in the harvesting of people who are open to His teaching.

In going through Samaria, an area where a people lived that also believed God would send the Messiah—yet believed differently enough that they were unliked by the Jewish community, Jesus takes the noon hour to rest and to do one of the things that he does best—to talk with people. To use that which surrounds him to show us who he is and why he has come to this earth. Parables, stones, word pictures and questions that involve things like farmers, fisherman, bread, fish, a fig tree, a rock, water. And in this story--The well—a gift of Jacob. What water could be better? Jacob and his sons and his flocks drank from this well—Are you greater than Jacob?

Can you imagine the joy in Jesus as He answers this question? Oh, “Yes with this well you will be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.” “The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so I will not have to come back home to get more water.”

What follows is Jesus in dialogue with his student. Even though Jesus is the greatest teacher, he is just as willing to teach a street sweeper in a bright orange jumpsuit putting his life at risk in the big cities of Brazil as he is to teach Pele, the Brazilian soccer star. He will even walk through Samaria to teach-- a woman. And, he is with us to teach and to enter into dialogue with us to bring this living water and this teaching that all true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth…not on the mountain (as the Samaritans believed), nor in Jerusalem (as the Jewish people believed), but in Spirit and in Truth.

In vs. 23-26 we read, “The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and that time is here already. You see, the Father too, is actively seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth”.

“The woman said, I know that the Messiah is coming.” When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Jesus replied, “I know…I am He.”

Jesus revealed this aspect of his identity rarely in his ministry. This is one of those times. Imagine His delight. The identity of Messiah is a name that Jesus shied away from. Roman Palestine was a very volatile climate politically and socially. To assume the title Messiah and the roles that the Messiah was expected to fulfill, namely that of exalted King and deliverer of justice including righteousness fulfilled would have led to a different and much quicker road to Jerusalem and the cross. God’s timing is always perfect.

And so, when the disciples returned they were surprised to find him talking with a Samaritan woman. They had not yet grasped that Jesus came for all that will seek Him.

Vs. 28 tells us that, “The woman left her water jar and went back to town.” I love it that she left her water jar, and I love how Max L. puts it in Six Hours One Friday. He writes, “Suddenly the insignificance of her life was swallowed by the significance of the moment. God is here! God has come! God cares…for me! That is why she grabbed the first person she saw and announced her discovery, “I just talked to a man who knows everything I ever did, and He loves me anyway!” And he loves us anyway. Remember the Father is actively seeking such people. Those who will worship in Spirit and in Truth. A very different understanding of the role of the Messiah from any perspective. Mountain or Temple? no our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. And the expectation that the Messiah would rule as a powerful King in the Davidic line to overcome Israel’s oppressors is instead a humble servant, one so humble that Paul wrote to the Philippians:

“In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.
Christ himself was like God in everything.
But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.
But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.
He was born to be a man
and became like a servant.
And when he was living as a man,
He humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
So God raised him to the highest place.
God made his name greater than every other name
so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—
everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
and bring glory to God the Father. Ph. 2:5-11


Are you open to God’s surprises in your life? My favorite definition of knowing God’s will comes from Beth Moore, she says, “I know God is asking me to do something when these three things occur together, 1-it is consistent with scripture, 2- there is a stirring in my heart, and 3- it’s way out in left field. Are you open to left field service?

When the disciples returned they kept quiet regarding the teacher speaking to the Samaritan woman. What a man of mysteries. When offered food he turns it down. Instead, He is ready for the harvest, for the kingdom of God is at hand. He is ready for the work of calling people to repentance and new life, and he is ready for the work of the cross. So that which separates all humankind since the fall would be restored into it’s original design. Relationship and closeness with God. His food is to do the will of the Father—to teach and help people to see the love of the Father—that is satisfying enough! He has just done what he does best—to walk alongside, to ask questions, to enter into dialogue to help people see him and then to offer this drink of living water.

It is good to ask ourselves today—am I talking with my Teacher, our Savior, the Messiah? Perhaps it seems in your life that the living water has run dry, or that it is just a trickle. You may be asking yourself have I even experienced this gushing up of living water?
Or even, “What is ‘living water’”?

Over twenty years ago, I remember hearing a sermon on “living water”. It went right over my head. I could not get a handle on it. When we read a little further in the gospel of John we find the words “living water”, in John 7:37-39 it says,

“On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.” (and then John comments) Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.”

When this living water is flowing from our hearts, we have more than enough to share. If you feel spiritually dry—seek the Savior, he is here for you to seek—ask him to teach you. Tell him when doubts arise in your life. Be ready to listen, in Psalm 46:10 it says to “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” We live in a very noisy time. Technology can rob us not only of meaningful relationships but of knowing God. Too much TV, computers, video games, work, or the busy-ness of life can keep us from hearing His voice.

In leaving our ‘water jars’, we go to tell others, wherever God leads us, maybe even into ‘left field’ places like Samaria. May the people that we are able to reach say one day as the townspeople said, “First we believed in Jesus because of your speech, but now we believe because we heard Him ourselves. We know this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Sometimes, those left field places are familiar places to us. They may even be where we already are. A man named Os Hillman is sending out a newsletter each day to 20,000 subscribers to encourage business people as they bring “God into the Marketplace.” You can find out more at  HYPERLINK http://www.todayGodisfirst.com
www.todayGodisfirst.com The purpose of this online community is to encourage those who have a desire to apply Biblical faith to the workplace and to begin to see that all work may be ministry.

Having lived in two other countries for extended time, it is easier to look at North Americans more objectively. One of the most helpful analogies that I have heard, is that North Americans’s for the most part are “immunized against Christianity”. They have had just enough to make them resistant. In contrast, Brazil, a culturally Catholic nation (diff. from Catholicism in most of the world) is very open to the good news. In 1994 it was estimated that 15-16% of Brazilians were believers. By 2002 the estimate was over 25%. It was an exhilarating experience to work in a harvest field so ready.

I believe that we are all called to reach out and make intentional friendships for the purpose of sharing the good news of salvation. Though resistant to Christianity, few can resist the offer of genuine friendship and love.

Back in 1974, when I was in ninth grade. I noticed that the person with the locker next to mine had a bright yellow bumper sticker in her locker that said, “I Found It”. One day I asked her what she had found. She replied, “You have to find out for yourself” and walked away. Now perhaps you remember that ‘evangelistic tool’ from the early 70’s. I do hope that there were some good stories to tell from that time, if you know of any, please share with me after service! In 1974 I was very much needing to hear about Christ in my life.

I choose to remember that experience because it reminds me of missed opportunities. (as a side-note, I did receive Jesus as my Savior three and a half years later when a friend of mine, who had just become a Christian called to ask me if I knew who Jesus was and what His death on the cross meant). The reality is that we really need to learn to be more available to those around us.

Perhaps you have heard of Scott Ginsberg. Scott has worn a nametag for 1593 days now (as of March 13, 2005). You can read about Scott at http://www.hellomynameisScott.com

Scott is helping people, organizations, and businesses think through what it means to be available to those around us. Scott will change the way that you think of availability. On his site you can read about “52 Ways to Build Front Porches”, such as wear a t-shirt that people will comment about. Some others:

1) Smile
2) Make eye contact
3) Comment about someone’s jewelry
4) Ask about someone’s t-shirt

One of the most recent members to join our church shared that when he and his wife visited our church for the first time, they not only liked the service, but three people had commented on his shirt. So they came back. They were on his front porch, weren’t they?

In closing, I would just like to say, for the sake of yourself and others, do not walk alongside the source of life and die a spiritual death. If you are suffering from spiritual thirst, let God speak to you today, this week, enter into dialogue with Him. He is waiting. One definition of a counselor is: “A temporary assistant to the Holy Spirit”. If you need help ask a brother or sister, pastor or friend. Take time for yourself and take time for others.

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