Tuesday, May 31, 2011

John 4:15-26


1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)

2) Scripture Reading - John 4:15-26
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

3) Devotional
The women at the well believed that she was conversing with a kind Jewish man, and she was right. Jesus is kind but in this passage He also proves to be a good listener and one who speaks the truth in love. But Jesus is so much more. He also reveals himself as a prophet and as the Messiah. He is the only one who can provide the Samaritan women with “living water” so that should would thirst no more.
Sometimes when I speak to Jesus, I forget who He is. I forget that He is my “ Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). I talk to Him as the one who can fix my problems, and He can do that. But I have come to realize that He is so much more than that.
Many times I need some perspective when I talk to Jesus. I need to realize that He created me, He gives me purpose and He is preparing a place for me in His heaven. Compared to these things, how big are my problems? I guess that there is not much difference between me and the woman at the well. We are both too wrapped up in the here and now and too wrapped in our own problems to realize who it is we speak to.

4) Questions to Consider
Do you need to change your perspective?

5) Prayer
Lord, Please forgive me when I don’t give you the respect that you are due, when I treat you like my own personal problem solver and when I don’t recognize you as the Creator God that you are. May I realize that you are sovereign over all things, even my circumstances. Thank you for loving me and providing for my every need. In Jesus name I pray these things, Amen.