The Well - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) February 3, 2023

During His time on earth, Jesus Christ traveled around teaching people about God and Godly living. Additionally, He restored sight to the blind, cleansed the skin of lepers, and made the lame walk. During a trip, He met with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Samaria (John 4:6). He asked her for a drink of water and she was shocked because Jews typically avoided her people for a long list of reasons.

Ignoring that she was a Samaritan and a self-confessed fornicator, Jesus didn't stop talking to her. This makes sense, because He was all about doing His Father's business (Luke 2:49 NKJV). And here's something the Samaritan woman learned - John 4:10 - 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.”

Although this didn't make sense, she continued speaking with Him. Their conversation eventually ended with Jesus revealing He was the Messiah she and her people were waiting for. The Samaritan woman ran to get everyone from her village and over the span of two days, many became believers!

Imagine if the woman hadn't gone to the well that day? She might have missed out on the chance to meet the Messiah and be transformed. What if she'd opted to leave the well when Jesus - a Jew - showed up? Or, if she'd decided He made little sense and chose to come back another time. Instead, she remained at the well. As a result, she was not only born again in the Spirit but she also led many of her people to meet Jesus and be saved as well.

It all happened at the well. It was there that the Samaritans were able to draw and drink living water.

Each of us needs to draw from the same living water so that we are equally transformed and saved. Like the Samaritan woman, we must be willing to listen to Jesus, ignoring any customs and fears that would block us from receiving what He has to give. And what He's offering is the Holy Spirit and even better, union with the Lord.

Fortunately, we don't have to travel to the Middle East to accomplish this feat. Jesus said in John 7:37-38, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The Bible further explained, "By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" (John 7:379).

We are the very people who will believe in Him later, just as the Bible mentioned. We are those who get to receive the Spirit of God from Jesus by drinking Him in. If only we can each believe that Jesus is the Son of God and submit to Him being our Lord and Savior. This is the starting point in a beautiful spiritual journey and it means choosing to give your life to Christ. From there, we have to study the Word of God, pray, fast, intercede for others, and give praises to the Lord. We have to apply these Kingdom Keys to grow spiritually. These will have us well positioned for any trial that comes our way because we'd be well planted at the well of living water. We'd be filled with the Holy Spirit who will tell us what to do so that we receive God's best and are filled with His fullness of life. For we are promised in Isaiah 21:3 - With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

May we receive increased grace to patiently sit by the well so we can always draw from the never-ending supply that is a benefit of having Jesus as our Messiah, IJMN, Amen.

John 4:14 - 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.