Woman at the Well

 

 

"You've been married FIVE times, are living with a man, and engaging in sex before marriage." 

Words of condemnation?  Was Jesus telling her she was unclean and needed to repent? OR were these words of compassion spoken from Love Himself? Perhaps revealing her secret in order to receive her heart.

He knew her.  He knew her pain. He knew her past.  He knew her present.   At that very moment, Jesus became the face of the Father that loves us no matter how stained and soiled we are.    Right smack dab in the middle of her mess, He initiates a relationship with her. 

This woman knew all about religion and the law.  I’m sure her family taught her the rules and traditions of what "worship" was to look like.  Yet her heart still ached.  There was a void that wasn't being filled by knowing all the right things to say and do.  She probably mastered the "art" of appearing religious, while maintaining a hidden lifestyle.   She grew to understand that acceptance and love are only given when you act a certain way and maintain a certain look.  Yet Jesus comes along and shows her another way.  He wasn’t interested in her weekly "timecard punch” at church, her singing a few songs, her fluent Christian lingo, or her proper and polite speech...  He wanted her eyes to be opened to true worship. Worship is about Him having all of her, and her having all of Him.  True worship is birthed out of relationship. 

He says, "I want you to understand My heart toward you.  I want you to know that I love you regardless of yourself.  I know all your weaknesses and sin struggles, and I still love you.  I already know that apart from My Spirit you cannot fix it yourself.  It’s out of a love relationship with Me where your true freedom is found.  Stop trying.  Stop beating yourself up because you keep messing up.  The more you drink of My life-giving water, you will learn how to just be.  It won't be striving anymore for you.  The only "doing" you need is to stay close to Me.   Staying close to Me is what worship is all about.  As I pour into you, who I've created you to be will come out naturally."

 

 

Drawing from a source

That is only temporary

A thirst never quenched

Issues only buried

 

A desire that is craved

But you never truly get

No matter how much you have

The need is never met

 

Come see what I offer

You’ll never again thirst

It’ll become a well within you

In which eternal life is birthed

 

If I told you all your secrets

And counted your failed tries

Would you draw from My well?

Where you’ll finally be satisfied?

 

(John 4)

 

Repentance

Oftentimes, we are so driven to a life of perfection and self willpower that our "repentance"  to God becomes a method.  It becomes about us; OUR feeling "a clean slate," OUR feeling "right," OUR success driven thinking to personally have victory over sin.  In doing so, we miss the real point of repentance:  An opportunity to connect with the very One whose heart we grieved.   A time to reflect on Who enables us to overcome.   A turning of direction.   A moment of embrace.   A beautiful occasion to hear, “You and I are okay.”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQ5yXCc_CA

Being Perfect

 

Matthew 5:48, "Be PERFECT, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Have you ever struggled over this Scripture?  Some may even think if this is what it means to be a Christian, I can never measure up.  They end up walking away from a relationship with Christ or half-heartedly serving Him because it feels pointless to try something that’s unobtainable. 

I’ve read that the word 'perfect' (teleios) has several meanings.  One definition is "completion," another speaks of maturity but not necessarily sinless, and another is "the appropriate state at the appropriate time."  For instance, a tree that has no leaves in winter is perfect.  It is at the appropriate stage for the appropriate time. 

Not everyone is in the same season.  It would be silly for a mature tree to compare itself to a newly planted seed.   That's not a level playing field.  They are in a totally different stage of growth.

 

So why do we?  I know it’s human nature to want to compare sins; place people at different sin degrees.  We play "Let's Compare" instead of "How can I become more like Christ?"   

"A butterfly should never judge the caterpillar." -et

God meets each of us right where we are.  As long as our heart is to serve and please Him ~ we are in the appropriate state at the appropriate time! Does this mean we aren't ever to keep one another accountable and spur one another on?  Of course not, but that's a different message :)

Like any relationship, it takes time to grow.  For relationships that you are cultivating and desiring deeper intimacy in, you will pass through different stages to get to that level.  It takes time to develop. Our relationship with Christ is the same.   In a relationship, you will either be moving forward or moving backwards.  It’s through full surrender and willingness to let God work in us that brings the needed growth. Sometimes it's through tough times that we grow and sometimes it's simply in the quiet moments spent with the Potter. 

I want to encourage you that if your heart is fixed on a sincere desire to follow Christ and walk in obedience to His Word, you are in the appropriate state at the appropriate time... To God, this is to be perfect.  Without flaw? No, but definitely on your way to completeness...

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing (that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6

Working With God

Oftentimes we throw out the "God is in control" phrase, and it becomes an unconscious excuse to do nothing. Believe it or not, God needs us to execute His will on the earth. Although He is all capable, in some ways He chooses to limit Himself to our "co-laboring" with Him. I think it's because He is all about relationship...

 

He wants us to seek Him, to know His heart, to know His ways through intimate fellowship.  It is in those times that we see through His eyes and begin to pray for and take action on those things He deposits into our hearts.  It's only in this manner of living that we truly are allowing Him to be in control.  Remember, "God is only in control of our lives when we are not." -ss

What is so great is we have been given the promise that when we pray anything in His name, in His will, we will have whatsoever we ask of Him.  This is a working relationship.  God Almighty WANTS to work together with us. How amazing is that? 

(Matthew 7:11; Mark 16:17-20; John 14:14; John 15:7, 16; John 16:23-24; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Philippians 4:6; James 4:3; 1 John 5:14)

 

Being Perfect

Matthew 5:48, "Be PERFECT, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." 

Have you ever struggled over this Scripture?  Some people may throw their hands thinking if this is what it means to be a Christian, I can never measure up, and end up walking away from a relationship with Christ or half heartedly serving Him because it seems pointless to even try something that appears unobtainable. 

The word 'perfect' (teleios)  has several meanings.  One definition is "completion," and another is "the appropriate state at the appropriate time."  For instance, a tree that has no leaves in winter is perfect.  It is at the appropriate stage for the appropriate time. 

We have to stop comparing ourselves to others and we have to stop pointing the finger  expecting that others be where we are.  I know it’s human nature to want to compare sins, place people at different sin degrees.  We play "Let's Compare" instead of noticing the log in our own eye and being grateful that Jesus loves us despite, will meet us where we are, and as long as our heart is to serve and please Him ~ we are in the appropriate state at the appropriate time!  Does this mean we aren't ever to keep one another accountable and spur one another on?  Of course not.  But that's a different message :)

Like any relationship, it takes time to grow.  If it is a relationship that you are cultivating and desiring deeper intimacy, you will pass through different stages to get to that level.  It takes time to develop. Our relationship with Christ is no different.   In a relationship, you will either be moving forward or moving backwards.  There is growth to this thing that must take place.  But I want to encourage you that if your heart is fixed on a sincere desire to follow Christ, you are in the appropriate state at the appropriate time... To God, this is to be perfect.  Without flaw? No, but definitely on your way to completeness...

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing (that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6

Knowing God

On an afternoon walk, a common way that I like to connect with the Lord, I heard Him speak to my spirit, "I want My people to truly know Me for all that I am, not just a portion."

He showed me how we all have different people in our lives for different purposes. We go to the doctor for our physical health. We have our pastors and accountability partners who help us grow spiritually. We have people in our lives that are strictly for business purposes, connections that help us gain wisdom in the area of business, discovering ways to prosper. We have friends who are there for us emotionally. We have friends who are there for us just for a good laugh...

The different people in our lives play a different role... In most cases, we do not know these people in the fullness of who they are... They meet a certain need - vice versa, but it's a limited relationship that lacks intimacy.

God so desires a deep, abiding relationship with each one of us. That is why He is challenging us to know Him as the All Sufficient One. Many times we focus primarily on Him being a faithful God, our Healer, our Comfort, or the One who provides. He is all of those things, but we have to stop limiting Him to a part of who He is and making Him just another "person," another "go to" that is only given access to a portion of our lives. He so desires our intimate acquaintance. In knowing the depths of who someone is, true intimacy is then birthed.

I want to encourage you to study the Word and gather tools to assist you in navigating through the Scriptures. There is so much more to God than we have even begun to tap into. He is the "I AM." In Him our every need is found. In Him we can do all things. In Him we are complete. In Him is life. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. We need Him! And the beautiful thing is, He longs for and desires us...

(Acts 17:28, John 1:4, Colossians 2:10, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:19)

Study tools: :)
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalSeries/C24/
http://truthmedia.com/training/attributes_god/

Knowing God

On an afternoon walk, a common way that I like to connect with the Lord, I heard Him speak to my spirit, "I want My people to truly know Me for all that I am, not just a portion."

He showed me how we all have different people in our lives for different purposes. We go to the doctor for our physical health. We have our pastors and accountability partners who help us grow spiritually. We have people in our lives that are strictly for business purposes, connections that help us gain wisdom in the area of business, discovering ways to prosper. We have friends who are there for us emotionally. We have friends who are there for us just for a good laugh...

The different people in our lives play a different role... In most cases, we do not know these people in the fullness of who they are... They meet a certain need - vice versa, but it's a limited relationship that lacks intimacy.

God so desires a deep, abiding relationship with each one of us. That is why He is challenging us to know Him as the All Sufficient One. Many times we focus primarily on Him being a faithful God, our Healer, our Comfort, or the One who provides. He is all of those things, but we have to stop limiting Him to a part of who He is and making Him just another "person," another "go to" that is only given access to a portion of our lives. He so desires our intimate acquaintance. In knowing the depths of who someone is, true intimacy is then birthed.

I want to encourage you to study the Word and gather tools to assist you in navigating through the Scriptures. There is so much more to God than we have even begun to tap into. He is the "I AM." In Him our every need is found. In Him we can do all things. In Him we are complete. In Him is life. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. We need Him! And the beautiful thing is, He longs for and desires us...

(Acts 17:28, John 1:4, Colossians 2:10, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:19)

Study tools: :)
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalSeries/C24/
http://truthmedia.com/training/attributes_god/