Living Water

Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, 'give me a drink', you would ask Him for living water." John 4:10

In the above scripture Jesus was waiting at a well in Samaria while His disciples go off to buy food. The woman comes to the well to draw water and Jesus asks for a drink. The fact that Jesus, a Jew, speaks to the Samaritan woman is against the norm, the Jews normally avoided such contact.

The woman is in a mess, she has been married 5 times and is now living with someone not her husband. For a woman 5 times divorced by her husbands there must have been something wrong, perhaps she was too outspoken, not a good cook, could not have children. We are not told why but here she presents herself to the saviour. I would hazard to guess that she was not backwards in coming forward. Every times Jesus speaks to her she responds. When she finds the truth she goes to the city and calls to the people to come.

We all know women who are feisty and not easily put down. I have a sister who was the second girl in the family. She was born fighting and still fights for place, for rights, just because that is who she is. Myself, being the eldest I was easier to 'make responsible', 'bully into place'. yet underneath I have a streak of fight for right that just won't go away.   Our younger sister has a different but similar strain of strength and as I look at my mum I can see who's genes we inherited and I am grateful.

However, each of us must come to Christ and bow the knee. The woman in the above scripture did not have a problem with the truth. When Jesus told her about herself she did not cringe and crawl away, she took it and pursued the life He offered, living water.

When Jesus told her she had 5 husbands and was now living with a man who was not her husband she replied, "Sir I perceive you are a prophet", but then went on with 'off- tangent' religious stuff. Jesus brought her back to truth and life.

Religion binds but truth frees. Jesus came to set us free with truth. As we are willing to face truth we find life, 'living water'.

This past week in my bible study group we were looking at Worship and a question was asked about form and rituals. As I am a new comer to the group and the church I was able to say, "never think it is what you do, underneath who you are and how you approach the Lord has a fragrance and it is lovely, don't dissect how, just respond with the spirit of who you are."

As we come to Christ we need to respond just as we are and not expect ourselves to be a certain way before we respond. He will receive us just as we are. Amen!