Letting God Win.

By revealing what you're doing, Christ is revealing who He is.

John 4 tells the story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus speaks to at the well. I've read this chapter a couple times, but it's like a whole new story when some one else is preaching it. I got a whole new look at it when it was preached this past Sunday. 

Jesus keeps trying to get across to this lady, yet she keeps putting up a wall and pushes Him away. It's funny because don't we all do that every now and then? We know what is right for us, but we turn our back to it because we think we know what is better. It's simple to say for myself that I became a true Christian when something personal happened to me. A personal experience that sunk me down deep and left me feeling like I was so alone. With this experience, it just brought me so much more closer to God. He finally started to become really REAL! 

In this passage, Jesus tries 3 times to get to this woman but she keeps putting up walls. The first time was when Jesus first said something to her. In John 4 verse 7, "A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me some water to drink.' " This woman not knowing who Jesus really was just saw Him saw as a Jew and quickly replied with. Verse 9, " 'Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?' (Jews and Samaritans didn't associate with each other)" Was Jesus really thirsty or was He just trying to get this lady's attention? 

Jesus goes on to say, " 'If you recognized God's gift and who is saying to you, 'Give me some water to drink,' you would be asking Him and He would give you living water' " Jesus explains the living water and this catches the woman's attention. Just like Eve was tempted in the Garden. After these two tries at getting the lady to listen to what He was really saying, she agrees and tells Jesus to give her this living water that He speaks of. 

This is where it hits me personally. Have you ever felt like God was answering your prayers? Like He had you just where you needed to be and you feel like you are doing everything to obey and trust in Him and then He just throws you a curve ball? I can honestly say I have experienced that several times. It sometimes gets frustrating. Feeling like you are listening to God and doing everything His way and He kind of say, 'Ah, just kidding, we aren't quite there yet.'

Well Jesus does this to this woman; now it's His turn to throw up a 'wall'. Jesus says to the woman, verse 16, " 'Go get your husband, and come back here.' " Jesus was so close to getting into this woman's heart and yet He throws a quick curve ball. The woman answers that she has no husband and with this Jesus makes Himself known by telling her what He knows about her already. Surely, she doesn't have a husband. She has had 5 of them and the one she is with now isn't her husband. This shocks the lady that Jesus knows this about her and says that Jesus is a prophet. Trying to deny what is really happening in front of her. 

The only way to know God is through the Spirit and Truth. With the truth it becomes real in your heart and the Holy Spirit draws you in. This all happens through personal experience. This was the Samaritan woman's personal experience but what was yours? When did you finally believe the truth and feel the Holy Spirit enter into your heart? 

When we finally accept what is real, we are to share with others. Just as this woman did. She ran back to her home and shared what just happened at the well. With that, her and the whole village believed. 

When God throws us curve balls in life, it's just so we understand that He is who He says He is. He wants us to truly believe and trust in Him. Although that might be tough to handle when it happens over and over again, it is definitely worth the wait. Just wait on the Lord and all things will be made good.