We've been doing a Bible study on the Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda. This weeks lady was the Samaritan woman at the well.
I believe this woman was empty. Dissatisfied with herself and life. She looked to the world to fill the empty longing in her soul. I've done that also. I've looked to drugs, alcohol, food, coffee, entertainment. Sometimes I still look to coffee or food in times of stress. And it never works!
Reading about this woman, I see her hiding. She felt too ashamed and shunned to come to the well in the cool of the day when they other women came to fill their buckets and socialize with each other. So she came in the middle, hottest part of the day when she go complete her task alone. Can yo just feel her loneliness? I can. I have often hidden how much I eat in excess, how many cups of coffee I have. When I was an addict and alcoholic, life was a constant, daily, day after day time of hiding myself and my addictions. This woman sought her worth, her satisfaction in relationships. It made her a social outcast in her society. It did the opposite of what she was seeking. She was lonely and in hiding.
Now along comes Jesus. A Jewish man walking in Samaria! (Most Jews avoided this area as they despised the Samaritans who they considered unclean half breeds). And He walked specifically to this outcast Samaritan woman and started a conversation with, breaking all societal rules and customs.
Jesus had a mission. He was looking for this woman and looking to claim the Samaritans as part of the family of God. He knew exactly where He was going and what He was going to do. Nothing is ever left to chance with God! He came to fill the Samaritans with Himself. This woman was the one sheep. Jesus left the ninety-nine to find her. And He had a purpose for her as well. She was to be His messenger to the Samaritans of her village. Luke 15:3-7 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Where are you looking for your satisfaction? We are you looking for acceptance, belonging? There is nothing on the earth that will fill you. I could never get more that an momentary satisfaction from drugs, food, coffee, etc. Shortly after I was finished I'd want more. These things left me feeling empty and guilty. I can so relate to this woman. But Jesus offers true satisfaction. Lasting, eternal fulfillment. John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
The Lord desires to satisfy us. We need only to come to Him and believe. He promises! Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Can you imagine being this woman? Nothing she could do would ever earn her the acceptance and belonging she sought. Nothing could erase her past in the eyes of the people in her village. Nothing humanly possible that is. But Jesus saw her heart, her need and He reached out and changed her life.
We never hear about this woman again in the Bible. But we see in this passage a whole town that was changed because Jesus sought out this one lonely, broken outcast. He can and will do this for us too. he seeks us, and all we need to do is open our hearts to Him. Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
John 4:4-42 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” 13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be 9thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 6 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” 27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. 31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” 33 “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. 34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. 35 You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe[e] for harvest. 36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37 You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. 38 I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” 39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Lord, thank You for this beautiful story. Thank You that Your love knows no boundaries. You love envelopes each and every one of us right where we are. Help us to seek only You for our fulfillment. Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. There is life and satisfaction only in You. I am amazed at how you seek us. And so very grateful. Let us seek you the same way! In Jesus Name. Amen.
I heard this song today for the first time. I want this to be my prayer, my hearts desire, my life. I prayer for all of us that this would be true. Take some time today to sit with this song and rest in the Presence of God.
We started Bible Study Fellowship yesterday. The book we are going to be studying this year is Revelation. We are looking to see God's love and faithfulness while diving into this book this season. As a start off we were asked to read Romans 8:31-39 and share our thoughts and impressions on this much loved passage of Scripture.
Romans 8:31-39 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. NLT
31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. MSG
One of the things I like to do is look up verses in multiple translations. My favorite version to use is the New Living Translation. But I also like to see what other versions say. Sometimes they have a way of putting things that puts a light on something in a new or clearer way. This was the case with these verses.
I loved the way The Message Bible put it. "Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us?" Think about that, God holds us so tightly, so securely, that no one and nothing any where, place or time can separate us from His love. We are tightly held!!
There is so much security in these words. And it really spoke to my heart this week. God wants us to know, that no matter what, He doesn't let go of us. Even if we are walking in the darkest circumstance, the most difficult of times, we are still tightly and infinitely held by Him. He wants YOU to know that today. So go ahead and soak that truth up, bury it deep in your heart and let it transform the way you think about yourself and our Father. You are secure. Tightly held. Forever!
Lord, thank You for this simple, yet profound and comforting message . It's something I forget and take for granted. So often when things are not going the way I want I question Your love and commitment to me. We can look through the whole Bible and see Your faithfulness. You never forget Your people. Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. What a joy for us! Praise You!!
Memorize Psalm 118:1 Remind yourself when you feel forgotten or unloved by God. Feelings aren't fact! Meditate on the verses in Romans for a while. There is so much great stuff to unpack in there!
God builds another lesson and blessing into my life. It's hard to call a specific God visit a favorite, but one of my favorite ways He visits is when our Father "says" or reveals something and then He builds on that with another revelation or word, and then another... Whether it be in a sermon, a reading, a song, something someone says, God is painting a complete picture of what He wants me to hear and know.
So, I think I've mentioned that I am doing a study called "Growing Grace." In the section about prayer, one of the questions I had to answer was, "How can you intentionally pursue community where regular prayer takes place?" I answered that I believe I am in a community the regularly prayers. We pray at church, in our Bible study, we have a ladies prayer group. I have been blessed with the beautiful group of people who believe they are called to pray and that it matters when we pray.
So I was actually going to meet up with a friend to visit another friend who was sick so we could pray with her. And then we would head off to another friend's house to do the same while dropping off a meal. Imagine my pleasure and amazement when the radio station I was listening to said something just blew away. The deejay said, "Do you realize that the life you are living now may be the result of a prayer you prayed long ago."
Well, I never thought about it before, but yes, that is absolutely true. Almost a year before we moved from NY to TN, I would pray to the Lord to send us to a place of prayer and a place we could serve Him. And that is exactly the place He sent us to. I was indeed living the prayer I had prayed almost four years ago, the prayer He had placed in my heart to pray! How utterly exciting and amazing is that! WOW!! God is so faithful to answer the prayers we pray when we seek to honor and serve Him.
Lord, wow! Just wow! Thank You for answered prayer. Let us ask for big things, small things, all things that glorify You. I want to ask for things now that I will be grateful for in the future. I want to come to You, in humility and in my neediness to know that You alone have the answers I desire, need and seek. You alone have the future in Your hands and the perfect plan for it. Direct our prayers so they will be fruitful and a blessing to You and others. It's in Jesus Name I pray, amen.
The more we come to God in prayer, dependent and needy, the more we acknowledge Him and place Him on His rightful place as King. Prayer is a sacred expression of our union with God and with other Christians.
