Drinking in the Holy Spirit

 

Drinking In the Holy Spirit

Red-Letter Words of Jesus

Day 44

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:13-14 (NKJV)

In Jesus’ day, people in Samaria understood thirst. The terrain was barren and the climate hot and dry. Wells and cisterns were vital to the survival of humans and animals alike. Those who lived in the region could relate to “as the deer pants for the water brooks” mentioned in Psalm 42:1. They probably experienced the deep ache of parched mouths and swollen tongues.

Not even in her wildest dreams could the Samaritan woman imagine a fountain of fresh water springing up in her arid surroundings. No wonder the Samaritan woman desired this everlasting water to quench her craving once and for all.

Of course, Jesus didn’t refer to water which she could drink from and never thirst again. This was a metaphor with a deeper meaning. He wanted to her understand the second part of Psalm 42:1 which states, “So pants my soul for You, O God.”

Jesus wanted her to see her dry and thirsty spirit longing for God. He offered her the only means of true satisfaction for her deepest yearnings. Jesus offered her the living water of the Holy Spirit, a gift that could continually refresh her soul.

All those things she desperately longed for…unconditional love, acceptance, forgiveness, mercy, kindness…were hers if she received the Holy Spirit into her life and allowed Him to transform her. He was a fountain she could draw from on an ongoing basis.

Perhaps you’ve seen cartoons on television where a character is lost in the desert. With the sun burning hot, he crawls on his knees across the television screen with sweat pouring off his head and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Spiritually, that’s what I look like when I don’t spend time drinking from the fountain of living water the Holy Spirit freely offers me.

Father, thank You for showing me (and the Samaritan woman) that the only way to quench my spiritual thirst is with an ongoing drink fest with the Holy Spirit. It’s through Your Spirit that my spirit can be satisfied. When I pant for you, please quench the longing in my soul. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

https://biblehub/commentaries/barnes/John/4.htm

https://biblehub/commentaries//gill/John/4.htm

https://biblehub/commentaries/ellicott/John/4.htm

https://biblehub.commentaries/pulpit/John/4.htm

Through the Eyes of the Flesh

 Through the Eyes of the Flesh

The “Red-Letter Words” of Jesus

Day 43

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? 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?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

The Samaritan woman tried to understand Jesus’ spiritual truths through the eyes the of her flesh and current situation. Sir, I’m all in. Give me this water so I won’t ever thirst and won’t have to perform this tedious task anymore. Bring it on.

Don’t be too harsh on the Samaritan woman because if you’re judging her worldly response, you’re judging me too. Even though I’m a Christian and Jesus’ Spirit lives within me, there are times I forget it’s not about the flesh. When I do forget, I’m off on one of my tangents seeking things that don’t satisfy.

Let me get real with you. While working on this devotion I became sidetracked by Facebook. I posted something on a denominational page and wondered if anyone had responded to it. Right in the middle of a sentence in the second paragraph, I logged onto Facebook to see folks’ reaction to what I posted. Sadly, I was looking for a feel-good moment to validate myself apart from Jesus. (Smack dab in the middle of me trying to be spiritual no less.)

Since I’m being vulnerable why not continue. (Gulp.) I’ve been stuffing my face more than I’ve been feeding my soul. There, I said it. A few years ago, I lost forty pounds but over the past couple of years I’ve packed quite a bit of it back on. Why? Because I want instant, endorphin-filled (think dark chocolates) gratification. It never lasts and I find myself back in the kitchen again. (I know the issue isn’t “what I’m eating but what’s eating me.” That’s an issue for another time.)

It’s easy to judge the Samaritan woman for her fleshly response, and yet, here I am as a Christian seeking carnal things knowing they won’t satisfy me.

In the next devotion, we’ll look at the fountain of water which can satisfy the dryest of souls; the Samaritan woman’s and mine.

Father, forgive me where I’ve looked elsewhere for satisfaction and validation. Forgive me for investing my time in stuff that will never quench my thirst. Please satisfy the hungering and thirsting in my soul with Your living water. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give Me a Drink/Part Four

Give Me a Drink/Part Four

The "Red-Letter Words" of Jesus

Day 42

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 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. 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." 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? 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?" John 4:9-12 NKJV)

I like this woman's feistiness. She certainly didn’t have an issue telling it like she saw it. Jesus asked for a drink, and she confronted Him about the propriety of a Jewish man talking with a Samaritan woman. Wouldn’t He be soiled through His association with a lowly Samaritan? Jesus chose to ignore her barbs.

(Although the Jews and Samaritans didn't like each other, she did exaggerate about the two groups interacting together. Despite their animosity, the disciples did go into the Samaritan village of Sychar to purchase food.)

Jesus turned the tables on her. He started His conversation by asking for a drink of water. Then He told her that, if she really knew Him, she would ask Him for a drink. He didn't offer her stagnant well water either but "living water" - fresh water flowing from eternal springs. Of course, Jesus spoke metaphorically of spiritual things.

Since her spiritual senses hadn’t engaged yet, she challenged Jesus's claim. Who did He think He was anyway? A gift of God? Yeh, right. Was He better than Jacob who dug the well? After all, the Samaritans were distant, mixed descendants of Jacob's. Besides, He didn’t even have a bucket or ladle to draw water for Himself or her. She was no fool.

She sounds like me before I became a Christian. I didn’t know who Jesus was either. I do recall mocking Him and His followers. I’m so thankful He opened my spiritual eyes to see Him as the one true gift from God offering eternal life.

Father, thank You that I can drink of eternal life through the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for opening my understanding to spiritual things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

https://biblehub/commentaries/barnes/John/4.htm

https://biblehub/commentaries//gill/John/4.htm

https://biblehub/commentaries/ellicott/John/4.htm

https://biblehub/commentaries/expsitors/John/4.htm

https://biblehub.commentaries/pulpit/John/4.htm

 

Give Me a Drink/Part Three

 

Give Me Drink/Part Three

The “Red-Letter Words” of Jesus

Day 41

So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there, Jesus therefore being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:5-7 (NKJV)

Why didn’t Jesus get his own drink? I believe the answer to that question is found in the practical and the spiritual.

The above verses show us that, in the practical sense, Jesus was human. His physical limitations caused Him to be tired and thirsty. He needed water but had no way to get it on His own. Jacob’s Well, approximately one hundred feet deep, didn’t have a bucket or clay pot to lower by a rope into the well. The woman had the container needed to draw the water.

The word “drink” here is a present tense, imperative verb. Imperative signifies a command; although, it doesn’t mean the command was given harshly. It would’ve been out of character for Jesus to demand what He wanted from her. He simply stated his desire for water.

There’s also a spiritual aspect to the story when Jesus said, “Give Me a drink.” Jesus recognized a soul ripe for harvest. He desired to start a conversation with the Samaritan woman so He could offer her what her spirit longed for – living water (or spiritual life). He started with a practical need to draw her to the deeper matters of the soul (which we’ll look at in the next couple of devotions).

In this chapter of John, we see two examples of evangelism: 1) Jesus persistently found those who were lost and needed salvation, including this woman at the well. 2) Once she understood Jesus offered her spiritual life, her first reaction was to share the good news with the residents of Sychar. The entire town believed Jesus was the Messiah because of her testimony.

In the practical aspect of my day, is my spiritual antenna tuned to those who are lost and thirsting for God? Is yours?

Father, just like with the Samaritan woman, Jesus’ desire has always been to seek and save the lost. That’s why He hung with the outcasts and the dregs of society. He revealed to them their thirst for the heavenly things of His Father. Thank you for seeking me out and saving me too. In turn, may I seek those who are desperate for more than what this world has to offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/john4

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/john4

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/john4

Give Me a Drink/Part Two

  

Give Me a Drink/Part Two

The “Red-Letter Words” of Jesus

Day 40

(This is my opinion on the Samaritan woman and I'm sharing from my perspective. You are free to disagree.)

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:7 (NKJV)

I hope my last post regarding the Samaritan woman messed up your theology. Many times, we interpret scripture through the context of our culture instead of Jewish culture. I believe Christianity in America reads way more into her story then what transpired.

Last post I focused on who the Samaritan woman was not. Now let’s look at John 4:7-42 to understand who she was.

1.         A respected citizen

She lived in Sychar. She was respected by its citizens because after she told them she had met the Messiah, they didn’t hesitate to believe her. No one doubted her due to her lack of morality. Not one person suggested what the Pharisee in Luke 7:39 stated about another female, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”  The moment this woman at the well told others about Jesus, they trusted her word.

2.         Knowledgeable

The scriptures don’t indicate she came to the well as the rejected, sullied person we hear about in sermons. Instead, we see an articulate woman who held her own with Jesus. They had a give-and-take dialogue on culture, tradition, and scripture. She was secure enough to challenge Him a couple times: 1) She questioned why he approached her, a Samaritan woman. She knew it broke many Jewish traditions; and 2) She challenged Him when she assumed He dissed Jacob’s well. Head on. Direct. No apparent insecurities.

3.         Honest

She projected honesty. Jesus acknowledged He knew she had five ex-husbands and that the man she lived with wasn’t her husband. Without hesitation she admitted it was true. Her forthright answer never indicated shame. In my previous post, I wrote, “Many people read between the lines and assume something sinister happened. Jesus never addressed her sexual sin. He never told her, ‘Go and sin no more.’ Nor did He demand she change her lifestyle.”

 

If she was sexually promiscuous, I believe He would’ve addressed it with her which was His custom.

4.        Strong

We don’t know why she had five ex-husbands. Most people assume the reason had to do with her being an impure woman. All I can say to that is, “Chapter and verse, please.” She could’ve been widowed five times for all we know. Also, in those days Jewish interpretation of the law allowed a man to divorce his wife for even the slightest reason. (See Phillip J. Long’s article on website, Reading Acts, titled “Jesus and Divorce in the First Century – Matthew 19:3-12.)

 

We don’t have a clue why she had five exes since it’s all speculation. We do know that she was a strong woman who endured a lot of heartache throughout the years.

5.         Thirsty for more

At first, the Samaritan woman didn’t grasp Jesus’s words about the living water. She desired to understand so she asked questions and listened. Her soul eventually understood the point He desired to make. The living water – the spiritual life - was hers for the taking. Take it, she did. She drank deeply from its waters. It affected her in a powerful way because the first thing she did was share the good news with others. As a result, revival came to Sychar.

I like this feisty woman who went to the well and received something she didn’t know she needed – a new spiritual reality. Jesus reached beyond tradition and law to minister to a woman who thirsted for more than whatever life had to offer. He will do the same for us.

“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.” Isaiah 55:1[a] (NKJV)

Father, I like this woman and can’t wait to sit down for a long talk with her in heaven. I do feel she has been given an unsubstantiated reputation. I’m sure right now it doesn’t bother her a bit because she’s with You. Thank You that the living water You so freely gave to her is available to me as well. Fill my cup, Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give Me a Drink/Part One

 Give Me a Drink/Part One

The “Red-Letter Words” of Jesus

Day 39

(This is my opinion on the Samaritan woman and I'm sharing from my perspective. You are free to disagree.)

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:7 (NKJV)

Jesus went from an encounter with Nicodemus in John three to another one with the woman at the well in chapter four.

His meeting with the Samaritan woman had a more positive outcome than it did with Nicodemus. Although we know Nicodemus became a [secret] follower of Jesus, he didn’t make his position clear at the conclusion of their middle-of-the night meeting. With the woman, not only did she believe Jesus was the Messiah, but an entire village believed in Him as a result.

I’m going to mess with your theology…with all those things you thought you knew about the Samaritan woman at the well. Let’s begin by revealing who this remarkable woman was not.

1.         A rejected woman

I’ve heard numerous sermons about this wretched woman who had to go to the well in the middle of the day (instead of in the morning) because she was ostracized by the other women in Sychar. Chapter and verse please. We read she went to the well to draw water. Nothing more. We do not find in scripture where she was rejected and ridiculed by the other women because of sexual promiscuity. 

2.         A sullied woman

We do know she had five marriages; however, we don’t know why. Nowhere does it state she was unfaithful to any of her husbands or did anything worthy of divorce. She could have been widowed five times for all we know. Also, in those days, a man was allowed to divorce his wife for even the smallest reason. If she didn’t please him, he could serve her with divorce papers. If he decided he no longer loved her, he could divorce her. Nowhere in scripture do we find that these men divorced her because of illegitimate sexual acts on her part.

 

She was a hurting woman, I’m sure. How could she not be wounded after five marriages for whatever reason? But sullied? I don’t see any evidence in the scriptures.

3.         A timid woman

When the Samaritan woman and Jesus got into a theological discussion she didn’t back down. She held her own with Him. I like that about her. She’s not the shameful, timid woman I’ve heard so much about in sermons.

4.         A woman living in sin

Jesus pointed out the man she lived with was not her husband. She admitted she lived with him although the scriptures never state they were having an illicit affair. Many people read between the lines and assume something sinister happened. Jesus never addressed her sexual sin. He never told her, “Go and sin no more.” Nor did He demand that she change her lifestyle. Just because she lived in this man’s house doesn’t mean she slept in his bed. In fact, if she was a widow, law required a kinsman to step up and provide for her.

Did I rattle your theology a little bit? I sure hope so. In the next devotion, we’ll look closer at her true character.

Father, I misunderstood this woman because I looked at her through my modern-day American interpretation of the Bible. I’ve come to realize there’s much more to this woman than I’ve given her credit for. I love it when You challenge me to look at scripture from a new perspective. Thank You for teaching me new and wonderful truths from Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jesus Needed to Go Through Samaria

Jesus Needed to Go Through Samaria

The “Red-Letter Words” of Jesus

Day 38

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples). He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.   John 4:1-8 (NKJV)

There’s so much packed between the first verse of John 4 and when He said to the Samaritan woman, “Give Me a drink.” Let’s unpack some of these items before we delve into the interaction between Jesus and this woman.

 1..       He had to leave Judea.

            The Pharisees, although tolerant of John the Baptist, didn’t like his water baptisms and messages of repentance. Many of their faithful followers changed their allegiance to John. They were even more unhappy with Jesus who had a larger following than John. Verses 1-3 give indication Jesus left Judea because of the Pharisees. He didn’t run away in fear of them but out of concern that He would be arrested and crucified before His time.

 2.        The Holy Spirit led Him.

On His way to Galilee, Jesus went the shortest and most direct route He could take - through Samaria. Due to strong animosity between the Jews and Samaritans, many Jewish travelers went out of their way to not go through Samaria. Although Samaritans were somewhat distant relatives, the Jews felt they erred in their religious practices since they didn’t worship God at the temple in Jerusalem.

            Not Jesus.

 

“But He needed to go through Samaria” gives indication God sent Him on a specific mission. To fulfill the mission, it was imperative He go through Samaria. The Spirit compelled Him to go to the well outside of Sychar to meet with a lost and hurting woman. A Samaritan who had value in the eyes of God.

 3.        Jesus faced human limitations.

He walked quite a distance that morning. His feet hurt and He thirsted for water. Jesus completely understands our physical struggles because He experienced them too. He chose to live within the realms of the natural law as a human so He could die for us. And yet, He is God. (It would take volumes to explain what our finite minds struggle to grasp here.) Suffice to say, Jesus is both God and human.

 

Father, thank You for the encouragement we receive in the above verses. You loved the woman of Samaria long before she ever heard about Jesus. You set her up for a great encounter with the Messiah. We have value in Your eyes as well. Your love for us is unconditional. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for drawing us to Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/john/3

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/john/3

http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/john/3