Has being confronted by Jesus changed you as it did the women at the well? When they first met she called Him ‘a Jew’, after He spoke she called Him ‘sir’, when Jesus revealed the wounds on her heart, she called Him ‘a prophet’, and when He revealed to her His identity… she called Him ‘Messiah.’ That’s quite the progression for someone who was trying to stay in the shadows and annoyed that her plans got messed up, too being the messenger of Jesus’ righteousness and goodness to the whole town. You at least get a message from me each morning about Jesus; add to that whatever else you encounter concerning His Word and those who love Him throughout the day. Do these experiences impact the way you think about Jesus or does your pride get in the way?Would it take being removed from your comfort zone and having the wounds of your heart exposed for you to see Jesus differently?
When the Samaritan women asked for ‘The Living Water’ Jesus was offering, He responded to her with, ‘go call your husband.’ She said she doesn’t have a husband; to which Jesus points out, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 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!” (John 4:17-18) With one question Jesus laid bare the wounds to her heart that needed healing. Jesus’ words brought to the surface her loneliness, insecurity, despair, and hopelessness; having moved from relationship to relationship and never finding love, let alone any kind of rest. And now, the one she was with just used her for sexual gratification… she was worthless and without hope. But this man, He saw her as a human being and spoke to her as if she was valuable… like a person; ”can it be that I am still worth something to someone?” Her heart desire to know love has been exposed and hope is coming alive; and it scares her… and like most of us, she changes the subject. I plead with you right now, if God is speaking to you, move towards Him, don’t shut Him down. He will answer the need of your heart if you will let go of your pride and let Him in. Yes it’s painful, but there is no healing, no renewal without the painful reconstruction of the way you think. Trust your heart to Jesus today and you will find hope again.
Choose wisely…
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:15, 21
Praying 4 U
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.
