Hi Family! I’m late… I know, but I am here. Just by maintaining this blog, I am realizing that I need to develop in many areas. Consistency and timeliness to name a few. God knows just how to expose you and still use you! I’m enjoying the process. I hope you guys are staying healthy, sanitized, and prayed up during this time in our country. Let’s continue to pray for our leaders, health officials, this nation, and the world. Let’s pray that this virus will pass over, that those who need healing will receive it, and those who do not have this virus will not become carriers of it. Let’s get into the word for today. If you’ve been following along, you know we’re in the final post of the woman at the well series (John 4).Why does it feel like this series has lasted forever? LOL. I’ve had so much fun relating to and understanding her story. If you haven’t checked out the previous post I have linked them at the bottom of this post.
The woman at the well had a great ending. After conversing with Jesus, she ran to tell her entire town about Jesus and the experience she had with him and many gave their lives to Jesus. When first reading this, I thought this was a matter of her being astonished and amazed at speaking to Jesus, and hearing Jesus, and being read by Jesus — so on. After taking a minute to think on it, I realized that what sparked her need to share the Gospel was her encounter with the Jesus. Thousands and thousands of people spoke to Jesus, were healed by Jesus, were fed by Jesus but yet that was all they received. The bible only mentioned a few that brought towns and regions to him after their encounter with Jesus. I believe these few people, including the woman at the well, truly encountered Jesus in a deeper way that the others may have missed.
Just as in biblical days many of us hear the word, read the word, cry and pray, but remain unchanged today. We feel no obligation to share the gospel or live a life that represents the true gospel. Could it be that we’ve only had an encounter with our pastors and teachers we follow? Have we only had an encounter with what God has done for us and not the essences of who He came down from Heaven to be to us. The proof of a true encounter was so evident in the woman at the well. This encounter made her bold. The woman who went to gather water during the hottest time of the day, to avoid interaction with people, was now running towards people to share Jesus with her entire town. This encounter made her shameless. When Jesus brought up her marital past she didn’t lean into the conversation but yet diverted Fromit. We can take an educated guess that she had been ashamed of her unfortunate past. But as she went back to her town she was willing to share Jesus with them, someone who knew everything she’d ever done.
From this encounter she also became a carrier of the encounter. Through her, other people were able to have an encounter for themselves. The scripture says, “They said to the woman, “We no longer trust because of what you said, because we have heard for ourselves. We know indeed that this man really is the Savior of the World.” I think this is one of the most valuable signs of having a true encounter with Jesus. You become someone that enables people to experience and receive Him as well. You live your life in a way the sparks a desire in people to encounter him. Leading people to him and not you. Leading people to Him and not what’s relevant or popular. Leading people to HIM HIM HIM!
There is a mandate on our lives to continue the cycle of encountering Jesus and finding other people who need to encounter Jesus. In your own God given way, do you lead people to Jesus? Are you in line with this mandate? If not, take a look at the story of the woman at the well. Ask God to give you your own special encounter with him. And when you find it don’t keep quiet. Run with it!
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