Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."Jesus had told Sam that although He asked her for a drink, what He really wanted was for her to ask Him for some water. He wanted to give her a drink of water she'd never forget - a soul-satisfying, never-ending, endless-quenching, life-giving water.
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
John 4:10-12
Sam's initial response was doubt.
"You have nothing to draw with....and the well is deep..."
In view of her reality at that moment, Sam's physical eyes told her that Jesus had nothing in His hands to draw with and the well was REALLY deep. Sam was looking at her own resources. Her own physical needs and limitations. What she didn't know was that Jesus wanted to give her something to fill the deepest thirst in her heart. All He needed to draw with was His Spirit - for it would draw her near to Him. And as far as the depth of the well - He could see deep into her heart and she was the only one who could stop Him from reaching the parts that needed Him most.
Oh, how often I operate in my reality and limit God to what I can SEE!!! Sam didn't get it and neither do I sometimes. I forget that God is working in the spiritual realm on my behalf in every area of my life!!! Every area.
Yet many times I think that I need Him to do something physical when in reality, what I need is for Him to do a deeper spiritual work in me.
So, here is what I'm pondering today: Is there an area of my life where I doubt He has what it takes to supply what He promises, to help me see what I need and then provide it for me? Do I ever doubt God's promises and wonder if they are really too big to fulfill in my life?
© 2008, Renee Swope. All rights reserved.
8 Comments:
Hi Renee,
Sorry to hear about the accident with your wrist. Praying for healing and for everything involved with selling your home.
Your post again today is fabulous! How often I only see what is in my hands, and don't trust all that God holds in His. We see on ground level, but we need to trust in God's greater view.
In response to your pondering thought...I don't think I doubt that God has what it takes to supply what He's promised to provide and meet my need, I just wonder if He'll do it for me. I know He can...but will He, is more often what I question.
Looking to my limitless God,
Joy
Wow, Joy took the words right out of my mouth... er, fingers. I have no doubt that God CAN. I just don't know that He WILL. Again, a lot of this goes back to my childhood and not wanting to "bother" God. Or my dad. . . And this is something interesting I just realized. Whenever I wanted something, I would ask my mom first. If she said "Ask Dad", I would often just skip it. My dad loved us but he was a no-nonsense type who didn't "get" all the stuff that girls go through/like. And he would often say no. So I learned not to ask - I'd rather do without than hear the no. The result was the same - I didn't have my desire - but I didn't have the "no."
And I think that has hampered my prayer life.
That's an interesting angle I'd never considered. Thanks for sharing this story.
I WILL say that there have been a number of times lately where I've seen God work in my life and do something that has given me a tender assurance of His in-the-details-of-life love. I'm thankful He knows me better than I know myself!! :-)
Renee,
I read the first part of your post today, and was left breathless.
Reeling in shock. I am Sam. He asked me yesterday for a drink and I couldn't respond... now I see he wanted me to ask Him to fill me with the water that He provides.
It terrifies me that he can see so deeply into me, and that nothing will stop Him from reaching the parts that need Him the most. Even the ugliest parts of me, the ugliest emotions that I have buried in that box for so long.
I am afraid that He won't be able to, or want to open that box, and so I have held back and not let Him really have the full control of opening it.
I am afraid that if He sees those deepest, darkest parts of me, He won't want to fulfill those promises.
There is nothing worse than being allowed to tag along, when you aren't really wanted, but the other person is forced to let you because they have been told they have no choice.
I know the doubts and fears are from the enemy. I know they stem from rejection in my early years. I hate these fears. As Lysa TerKeurst said in her devo today, Lord help my unbelief.
Thank you for taking your time making this post... I wouldn't have been ready to read it earlier today. Praise God for connecting your words, Lysa's words, and His work in my life, through counseling.
Thank you,
heather
Hey Friend,
I love the last couple of blogs, so awsome. I am sorry about your wrist, I will be praying for you.
About the thought: I don't doubt Him but myself and am I willing to let go of the old so HE can give me the new. My flesh fights for it's rights all the time at the cost of His blessings.
Love you my friend
Turtle Chick
Hi Renee, This was my favorite part of our Fox River Retreat up in chilly Wisconsin. My thought is that God is completely and powerfully capable of supplying my deepest needs. My fear is what if I let him and my life is turned upside down? I don't think I'm ready for radical obedience, to use Lysa's term. I know His plan is only to prosper me, but the control freak in me has a hard time letting go. Not because I don't think He can do it, but because I know He can.
Oh, Renee...I'm so sorry to hear about your wrist. OUCH! Blessings to you on a speedy recovery!
Regarding today's post, I feel quite strongly that I know, that I know, that I know that God is more than capable of doing ANYTHING He wants, which is most often times MORE than I could have ever imagined. My problem...I'm analytical. I have to break down and tear apart every little thing to see if it "makes sense." Well, to be quite honest, most of what God does in my life DOESN'T make a lick of sense to me as I sit in my little part of the world. But it makes PERFECT sense to my heavenly Father who can see the bigger picture in all things. I desire to be more spirit lead rather than sight lead.
I saw a quote on a church sign not too long ago. It read: Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing. Food for thought don't you think?
Thanks for a great lesson!
Until we ponder again...
Rebecca
Sacred shaping is a hard and long obedience. I just finished blogging about it, especially as it concerns my hopes and dreams and their deferment in this season of my life. Do I doubt God? Perhaps, at times. Especially when my eyes are veiled to his refining touch. My faith is weak and my flesh is ever so strong. So I pray for God to strengthen the faith and diminish the flesh.
A sacred work in progress, but one worthy of my trust. Thanks for sharing.
peace for the journey~elaine
'God is working in the spiritual relm on my behalf...'
Great words Renee!
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