Thursday 28 July 2022

1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “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.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 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.”

Jesus is on the move. He and the disciples are travelling through Samaria, a region historically avoided by the Jews but also historically a pivotal place in their history. Jesus stops at Jacob’s well to rest and a conversation is struck up with a woman (also to be avoided) around the need for water.

The story is well known so how can this relate to me now? The repeated phrase ‘living water’ has my attention. Verse 14 ‘a spring of water … to eternal life’ (NIV) ‘an artesian spring within … of endless life’ (MSG), ‘bubbling spring within … giving eternal life’ (NLT), ‘a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, flooding you with endless life!’ (TPT) no wonder the woman wanted this water, I want this water!  I think we need to be reminded that we have this living water within, Jesus. But how often do I forget this!? In difficult seasons, dry seasons, day to day life .. I forget or delay to tap into the living water to refresh me, sustain me, encourage me, refocus me, inspire me, heal me. The living water, who is Jesus, is all of this I just need to remember that He is and drink through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, I chose to tap into you today, living water, by reading your Word, by stilling myself before you, by calling on the Holy Spirit. I pray that your spring will flow through me today giving life to others who also need your living water. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson