Corona Devo 593

Today I ran into an old friend. I run into her at least once a year it seems. We have a lot in common, good things and bad. When I connect with her it is always deep because she resonates with me. Her story, complete with (guilty) diversions and distractions is something we can all relate to in one way or another. She was on the wrong path. An empty path. A sad path.

Until Jesus crossed her path.

Then, after some reactive defense-moves, such as "covering" herself by telling half-truths, and causing a few (verbal/semantic/Biblical) diversions, (all of which I related to)...she was "caught" by Jesus.

Caught in her lies. Caught in her self-deceit, and caught in her empty pursuit of fulfillment outside of God's plan for her.

Yep, I share a lot in common with this old friend. Perhaps you do too. And over the years my "similarities" with her change, but the pattern of all it repeats--I fall to my own plan and sin, try to debate the full-truth of it (with myself and God), and then finally Jesus "meets" me and I am caught.

But the best thing I share with her is our relief in being "caught" by Jesus in our sin, and our excitement in starting fresh in Him, and telling others about it so that they too can know the redeeming love of our Savior.

Perhaps my "old friend" is a friend of yours too?...

(1) Jesus...(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.”

(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 thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

(16) “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!”...

(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.

(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.”  ~John 4:1, 5-7, 9-26, 28-30, 39-42

I imagine you (too) have met "the Samaritan woman" before.

Her story, complete with (guilty) diversions and distractions is something we can all relate to in one way or another. She was on the wrong path. An empty path. A sad path.

Until Jesus crossed her path.

Whether it is your first time at the well, or if you are here (like me) again even though you met Jesus a long time ago---absorb this story and own it. Male or female, each of us are the "woman" at the well. We are shrouded in sin that may have shaped our past or is affecting our present. But Jesus stands before us, knowing what we have done, loving us anyway(!), and offering us forgiveness and a fresh start in Him.

Be "caught" by Jesus today. May we be "caught" in our current sin, called-out in His truth about it, and then may we be "caught" up in the forgiveness and new life that Jesus offers us.

The power and freedom that Jesus provides is life-changing, contagious, and too good to keep to ourselves! (“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did!" ~John 4:29). If we relate to our old friend, the woman at the well, then others will too.

Introduce her "story" (or yours!) to someone today.

“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.” ~John 4:42

Blessings, 

sarah     

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com