Focus
Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.
Read
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these 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 proclaim all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.
Reflect
Evangelism can be difficult. We have fears of offending people, or just not knowing enough about the Bible, or not having enough training, but these are all distractions. Yet, evangelism is simply telling others of the experience we have had with Jesus. We read about the Holy Spirit arranging meetings, giving words to those who are witnessing, and the Holy Spirit opens the heart of those who listen to the Gospel. As Jesus will later say in John 12, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all people unto myself.” I want to be like this woman at the well, who is so astonished by Jesus that I am compelled to tell others about this one who knows everything I have ever done…and still loves me.
In 1927, Washington Phillips recorded a song called “Lift Him Up, that’s All.” It’s a song based on the story about Jesus and the woman at the well. The woman at the well witnesses to her experience, saying, “He told me everything I have ever done.” John 4 says that many believed in Him because of her testimony. She was no expert in apologetics or a Bible scholar. She just told others about her experience with Jesus. The refrain from the song is,
Oh, lift Him up that’s all
Lift Him up in His Word
If you’ll tell the Name of Jesus everywhere
If you’ll keep His Name a-ringin’ everywhere that you go
He will draw men unto Him.
take a moment and listen if you like:
Pray
Lord, you are worthy to praise and worthy to call others to worship and praise. Fill my heart with love for others, fill my mouth with a message from You. Amen
Go with God!
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