Thirsty for Living Water

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In Jerusalem, Jesus’ ministry stirred up a lot of controversy and so, rather than create a crisis before the right time, Jesus left for Galilee. On His way north, He could have taken three different routes: Up the coast, the road along the Jordan River (the common way Jews took to avoid Samaria), or the most direct route through Samaria—the one Jesus took. He had a divine appointment with a Samaritan woman by a well.

When the woman arrived at the well (at an unusual time to draw water), there sat Jesus, waiting just for her. To her surprise, He asked her for a drink.

Racism was thriving in Israel, pitting Jews and Samaritans against one another. It was culturally inappropriate for Jesus to speak to her, and she knew it. But He dealt skillfully and sympathetically with her.

Read John 4:10.

Her attitude changed immediately: “Sir . . . where do You get that living water?” (4:11).

Read John 4:13-15.

She thought Jesus was talking about physical water, but He quickly created a desire in her for spiritual water. Then He laid out the condition: Acknowledge that you’re a sinner. To be truly free, we have to deal with sin in our lives.

The woman was actually shocked into reverence. So now she opens up a religious argument (what often happens when people don’t want to talk about their sin). Jesus wants to give her the Water of Life, so He puts her back on the topic of how to know God.

Read John 4:23, 24.

The Samaritan woman is profoundly interested, and there’s wistful longing in her heart. How majestic and wonderful that she is brought face to face now with the Savior of the world and the Messiah!

Friend, have you come face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior as this woman did? She turned in faith to the Lord Jesus, left her water pot, and went back to her city to let everyone know who she found. That’s the test of her faith—she witnessed to others.

Through her testimony, this woman brought a great company in Samaria to Jesus.

Many people are led to know Christ through the influence of another. In fact, it’s the effect of life upon life, the impact of one personality upon another, but our faith must stand on surer ground than another person. Let that one person’s influence take you to Christ, and then have your own story with Him.

Next, what healing marked the turning point in Jesus' ministry?

1. Can you relate to the woman Jesus met at the well? Have you ever felt “thirsty” in your soul?

2. How would you describe the way Jesus interacted with the woman at the well?

3. How can we follow the Samaritan woman’s example of bringing people to Jesus?