Meet Me at the Well

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Does your past haunt you? If you feel guilty or ashamed of things that happened in the past; I am here to let you know that your past does not determine your worth or capability of being happy and experiencing the love of the Lord. It does not control your level of success or prosperity in the future. There are so many times I have let past events, toxic relationships, and bad decisions determine my self-worth and confidence. I let it consume me, and I felt like I was on the same merry-go-round for years. Failed marriages, uncertainty in the direction of my life and career, and family turmoil seemed to weigh heavy in my heart every day.

But did you know, I found someone that knew everything about my past, and all my bad choices and regrets, and He did not judge me for it? He told me everything I ever did, and He made me face it all. He spoke to me in my heart, and told me that it was okay, and that He still loved me. When He forgave me, I surrendered the pain and the insecurities that I was clutching onto for dear life; and I embraced this new life of hope, faith, and love He had waiting for me. Every one of us has our own personal demons, or things in our past that we are not proud of, but all is not lost, and you can break the cycle and the chains around your heart – but you have to be willing to let Jesus love you first.

Many people like to quote the term “living water.” But many may not realize the story in Jesus’ life that this comes from. The woman at the well, in John 4: 4-42, is worth reading to understand this term a little better. This story explains the love Jesus has for you, the life He can provide for you by simply believing and living for Him, and accepting Him as the Son of God. Let us look at this section of John 4 together to truly learn what living water is.

4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 

9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 

17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” 

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed [a]the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

This story is a joyous one, it is day of rebirth and hope for the Samaritan woman. Her shame from the past and her current situation of her love life made her feel unworthy of being in the presence of a holy Jewish man of faith, who came from the land of the sanctified temple. It was known that Samaritans were looked down upon by the Jewish people, though they both believed in God, the Jewish people believed that the Samaritans did not adhere to Judaism the way it was intended. But after speaking with Jesus, she was astounded by his confession of his identity, and all the things he knew of her life, past and present. He told her that the well she drew from would run dry eventually, and only quench her thirst temporarily, but the water he could give her would never run out, and would give her everlasting life. This “living water” as he called it, was his offering to her and anyone who wanted to worship the Lord and live in his light and truth. He explained to her, to his disciples, and to all who came from Samaria all his knowledge and messages from God, his father. And with every word he spoke, they believed in Him. They believed in their hearts that without a doubt this was the Christ and Savior of the World.

So, when your future seems uncertain, your past consumes your better judgement, and anger clouds your heart; let yourself reflect on this story. Remember, that we all thirst for something different, but in the end, the thirst our bodies need, is nothing compared to the thirst our souls yearn for. So, when you are doubting your worth, your path has been brushed away, or your heart is heavy and dark, take a moment and drink from His cup of living water. Because in that moment you decide to drink, all that matters is your devotion and promise to Jesus; and the faith in the everlasting love, life, and truth He will give you from that point forward.

The Word of God, for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.