A boy hung on a cliff, and looking down, he cried out for someone to save him. Jesus came around, looked up to him and said “release your hands from the rope and come.”
“Do you have something to catch me with” the boy replied.
“No,” Jesus said. Just come.
The boy turned his face the other way and screamed, “somebody heeeeeelp.”
When I read this story somewhere, a smile walked up my check… Then my eyes moistened. Because I know who acts like that – I… and you.
I thought of the times God gives us His promise on something. Though we call ourselves believers, we fail to believe. Our words and actions scream, like that boy “somebody help!”
We’ve been discussing the story of the Samaritan woman. And when I got here, I did a huge pausing and thinking.
Jesus had caught this woman’s attention. He’s offered her Living Water.
“I love the idea,” this woman probably thought. I won’t have to go through the stress of coming to this well again.
But she looked at reality. “This Man has no cup, not to talk of a bucket, so how can he promise me living water?” The doubt crept up her heart. Then she let it spill.
John 4: 11-12 –
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Here are some examples of ways we act like this:
God: Daughter, I know the thoughts I think towards you, to give you an expected end.
Girl: Lord, but this is what I want to do. I love this job and want to get it by all means. I’m not sure to get a better one later.
God: I will make him (her) a helpmeet…
Girl: Lord, can’t I marry this guy showing interest now? We love each other. Will you ever bring someone I’ll love… And can I wait?
God: I go to prepare a place for you in heaven… Set your affections on things above…
Girl: Hmmmm! Let me just go with what others are doing… And enjoy my life now. We’ll talk about heaven later (when it starts making sense to me.)
And on… and on. If you’re walking this road of doubt and fear now, I need you to do what Peter did some time ago.
You remember when Jesus asked him to step out and walk on water to meet Jesus the other side? What happened after a few steps?
He looked at the sea. Is this Man serious? Won’t I get drowned? Then he started sinking. That’s what happens when you doubt and despise God. You’re left on your own… And you’ll sink if you don’t cry out to God for help – like Peter did.
Ask Him for mercy. Ask Him to increase your faith. He will. Then trust Him. You’ll walk over victorious.
Never be afraid to
Man’s Water VS Christ’s Water
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
I’ve earlier given some instances of the ways we exchange God’s perfect gift for our own personal gains. Jesus went on to explain to her the difference between what he offers and what you offer yourself.
His water always satisfies – you won’t thirst again (like we explained yesterday). Man’s water temporarily satisfies – you’ll thirst again and again.
The wealth and fame and beauty you pursue without Christ, you’ll always crave more and more without having it. Because you can’t have it all! But when you fix your heart first on Jesus, He supplies other needs, and gives you hope of eternal life and fullness when you leave this earth. Because you surely will die.
Just like God lamented over the children of Israel in Jeremiah 2:13 – For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Just like those Israelites, a lot of young women have forsaken Jesus, the fountain of living waters, and have tried to find pleasure and purpose in other things – without God.
Today, many young women turn to food, fashion, beauty, guys (husband or boyfriends), money, career, education, entertainment (movies, music, romance novels), etc – for satisfaction. But you know what, all those things can hold no water. They leave you thirstier.
Jesus is the real deal! When you allow Him to supply your needs, He’ll help you prevent it from leaking.
At this point, the Samaritan woman got hooked. “Sir, give me this water…” she replied.
But guess what happened? Jesus didn’t automatically tell her “take it.”
Surprised? I was. We’ll discuss this important part in the next post.
Reflections:
- Think of the ways you’ve exchange God’s offers to you for what your flesh desires. Repent and ask God to forgive you. Then make up your mind to always seek God’s will and obey it in every area of your life.