Hey there. I am so glad that you are joining us! You are in the company of hundreds of other women from across the country who together will look deeply into God’s word, and will discover the love of the Father through the encounters of His Son.
In this particular series, we will walk through the encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well outlined in John 4. Each week, we will build on the Truths we discuss the week before. Here is the link to week 1! So, invite a girlfriend! There will be no shortage of hope or encouragement here.
She takes her first breath. Air fills her lungs and her heart quickens to life. It is in perfect rhythm with her Creator’s. As she opens her eyes, she is met with the kindest gaze the world has ever known. She knows only His face. She hears only His voice.
She is a perfect reflection of Him. It is her purpose. Whatever He says about her, calls her, knows about her is true. She is whole. There is no uncertainty. There is no doubt.
Eve was the first and last woman who would ever be entirely confident of herself.
Because when Eve acted in a way that God didn’t, when sin first entered the world, the mirror broke. And for the first time, insecurity was born into the world. She became self-conscious, and it would be an infection that would plague the hearts of every generation of women after her.
In the depths of every woman’s heart, she holds the shattered pieces of Eve’s mirror. The dangerous collection serves as a constant reminder of her brokenness and of her inability to perfectly reflect the Father.
So, every day she hazardously tries to piece them together hoping to find value in her own distorted reflection. A million ways women try to put the pieces back together. We try to make everything alright on our own, but we suffer from brokenness that no medication or therapy or vacation can mend. No relationship, no friendship, no man will ever restore what only Jesus can fix.
The Samaritan woman had scars to show her attempts. Her life bore the marks of failed efforts to put back into place what only Jesus could set right.
Perhaps five husbands testified of this.
“Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
How can I be complete, Lord? How can I finally feel whole? How can I live in a way that day after day I do not search for ways to feel put back together?
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
Go get the man who is supposed to be the one taking care of you. Go get the one that is supposed to be your protector, your provider, the one you have selected to complete your soul…
He didn’t have her call the man because He enjoyed seeing her uneasy, and certainly not because He delighted in pointing out her faults. Jesus asked her to bring back her husband because He knew that she had filled her home with men who would never fill the place in her heart that was meant only for Him.
There, in the hot sun, with the truth of her life exposed, she truly saw Him. Her heart recognized what her eyes did not at first perceive. Her soul recognized the face of the Father through the eyes of His Son.
I love to imagine the face of Jesus at that exact moment. I love to picture His smile and His love for her. I love to think that in His heart He whispered, “Yes, dear daughter. It really is me. The one your heart has been searching for… I’m right here. You’re okay. I’ve got you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
No condemnation. No judgment. Just the rightful inhabitant of the throne of her heart sitting on wall of the well waiting for her.
It is hazardous business to try to make things right ourselves. It can be painful and messy to address the things in our lives that don’t properly reflect Christ. But the good news is that it only takes one encounter with Jesus to set everything in place. It only takes one encounter with Jesus to recognize that it isn’t judgment that is waiting at the well. Our healer and perfect lover of our soul waits for us ready to say, “Trade me. Give me your junk, and I will give you new life.”
In my early days of Charismatic upbringing, I was always nervous when a traveling prophet came to church. I would replay a list of the things that I might have done wrong and hope that he wouldn’t stop by my pew and point them out.
I think sometime we have a similar view of Jesus. We imagine Him just ready to point out our faults. We imagine a bully that says, “You shouldn’t have done that!” or “I told you so!” So, we avoid real conversations with Him.
We forget that He is the embodiment of perfect love. When we forget that He would leave heaven to make us whole. We believe the same lie as Eve. “He doesn’t really love you.”
When we recognize the words of our enemy, we can begin to more clearly recognize the voice of Truth.
I am not permanently broken. I can be whole. I am lovable. I don’t have to jump through hoops to reach Him, to find Him, to be with Him. He waits for me. He wants me. He is pleased with me. I am enough for Him. I am treasured by Him. I have worth. I have value. I have a purpose. Jesus loves me.
A few things to consider this week.
- When was the last time I felt whole? What are some of the things that keep me from feeling complete?
- Of the things I listed in question 1, which of them are impossible for Jesus to heal/restore? (Trick question.)
- When was the last time I had a sit down encounter with Jesus?
Father, thank you so much for being reachable. Thank you for coming in love. Thank you for revealing yourself to us through your Son. We believe that when we encounter Jesus, the truth of our lives is revealed. We trust you with this encounter. We trust you with our hearts. Help us to learn to trust you with every situation and every aspect of our lives. You are good. We love you. In Jesus’ name we ask these things.
