Come As You Are

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The Samaritan woman grabbed her water jug and headed toward Jacob’s Well around noon. She didn’t have much time if she was going to arrive before the other Jewish women. It was possible the ladies at the well might not know she’d been married five times and was now living with a man who was not her husband, but in her mind, everyone in town knew every sin she’d ever committed. It’s obvious she was searching for more than a great marriage and the love of a man. Little did she know she would soon meet the only One who could love her with a “no strings attached” perfect love.

I would have loved to have seen the look on her face when she saw a man sitting beside the well. Obviously men didn’t intimidate her—she likely had more encounters with men than women. But this man was different. He was Jesus the Messiah, and He was about to completely change her life. At first, she thought He was just another Jewish man. But then He spoke to her, crossing cultural boundaries. As they chatted, she soon realized He was different. For one thing, He knew everything about her, yet He didn’t condemn her. It’s not every day we meet someone who doesn’t judge us for our sinful behavior.

I can’t imagine what was going through her mind when Jesus asked her for a drink of water or to go get the husband He knew she didn’t have. Certainly Jesus had her attention when she realized He knew everything about her, yet she knew nothing about Him. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." What did He mean? First, let’s consider some of the attributes of Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the bread of life, and the water that satisfies our soul. If she had known what Jesus offers, she would have asked, and He would have given her exactly what she needed. Do you feel empty because of the guilt over past regrets? Jesus has forgiven you. Do you struggle to believe your life has any purpose? Jesus can give you a life with purpose. When Jesus instructed us to drink from Him, He’s telling us He is what brings meaning to life. Knowing we are a child of God brings value to our lives. Jesus said if we really knew who He is, we would ask Him and He would give us everything we need—He would give us His life.

Jesus sat by Jacob’s Well waiting for the Samaritan woman to come, and I believe He waiting for us to come to Him. The last thing we want is an empty life. We will do whatever it takes to fill our lives with things we believe will make us happy—just like the Samaritan woman was seeking the approval of men to fulfill her emptiness. Jesus can’t fill something unless we come to Him empty. If we believe we can only come to Jesus once our lives are fulfilled, we are wrong. We must empty ourselves of ourselves and ask Jesus to fill us with Himself.

The Samaritan woman came looking for water from Jacob’s Well, but Jesus offered her a “spring of living water.” Too often we fill our empty jugs with something else when Jesus knows everything about us and what we need to be satisfied. And He is more than willing to give us everything we need. He’s just waiting for us to ask!

reflect

Read the story of the woman at the well in John 4:1-30.
Can you relate to the woman at the well? Do you carry the weight of secrets (or not so secret decisions) you feel define you? Have you allowed these secrets to impact your relationships with those around you?

respond

If you responded yes to the above question, write your thoughts down and know Jesus will meet you at “your well.” He knows your heart, and He desires to make it whole again.

The SipGuest UserAugust 3, 2016