July 14 Prayer (John 4:10 Devotional)

One of my all-time favorite Bible stories is the telling of the Samaritan woman at the well. I could spend hours talking about her story and the history that goes with it, but when it all comes down to it – I love this story because it feels a lot like mine. 

This is the story of a woman with a past; a woman who tried to find comfort in all the wrong places. A woman craving something bigger than any material thing could provide. 

Connection. 

Companionship. 

Relevance. 

I can relate. Something tells me, you probably can too. 

Growing up I heard the story of the woman at the well often. We’d talk about Jesus and the gift of life He came to give. We’d talk about the living water that He promised would spring up within us as if from a fountain (John 4:13-14).

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that Holy Spirit in the Bible is often described as living water and that Jesus was likely talking about the gift of His Spirit in us (see John 14). With His Spirit in us, we would never thirst again. 

That line of thought created a line of questions. What was it that the woman at the well was really lacking? What void in her life needed to be filled and how did Jesus being the Son of God and promising living water (Holy Spirit) meet that need? And then it hit me. With Jesus, this woman was truly known. 

While others knew her for her seemingly poor character and assumed promiscuity – Jesus saw her for who she was. Bigger than that – Jesus reached out to her as she was. Greater than that, Jesus was willing to yoke Himself to her even as she was. 

He saw her, knew her, accepted her, and by giving the gift of His Spirit; He quenched her thirst. 

Not only did the woman gain eternal life; she gained a Companion to walk with her through the highs and lows of this life. 

He would mend her brokenness and heal her wounds. 

He would hear her strengthen her and guide her. 

He would see her and cherish her even with her faults. 

But He would also love her enough to show her the good and perfect way. 

He would bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (the fruits of His Spirit) into her life and fill her to the brim and overflowing. 

And the good news is, this promise and invitation wasn’t exclusive to the woman at the well. It’s good for you and me too; regardless of our pasts, our skeletons, or anything else we may struggle with in this life. 

Jesus can quench our thirst. He is the living water; He seeps into every crevice and fills every void. If we would only trust and ask. 

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.” John 4:10 NKJV