Fridays 18^th January

John 8: 1-11

Jesus was the only sinless human being to walk on the face of Plant Earth; and the only person that will ever will be sinless. This thought provoking and challenging scripture passage we will study together highlights both the fallen nature of humans, the supremacy and perfection of Jesus Christ and the gracious love of God incarnate. Excited…well let’s take a look.

This story starts in the first few verses of John chapter 8. Some have argued that verses 1 – 11 were not in the original Greek Manuscripts however it has been commonly agreed that this story did happen and therefore passed the canonical inclusion into John’s gospel. So we come to verse 1 where Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives. Jesus, the following day, goes straight to the temple and begins to teach the crowd that was forming. Suddenly in the midst of the congregation the Scribes and Pharisees rushed in brining a woman that was caught in the very act of adultery. Trying to catch Jesus out they reminded Him that Moses’ laws says that if someone was caught in adultery then they would have the right to stone them. (Interestingly this is taken from Deuteronomy 22 and includes that the man also should be punished in the same way).

The Pharisees thought they had Jesus in a good place. They knew that Jesus was a radical teacher due to His revolutionised teaching about the Sabbath day. So they thought if Jesus let the woman go, then they could definitely catch Him out because the evidence against this adulteress woman was conclusive and the law was clear about the consequence. They also knew Jesus’ love for the sinners and His association with them but even they would have been angered if Jesus let this obvious sin slide by without rebuke or punishment. Then they would also have know that the Romans would have got involved if He had agreed to this capital punishment for they believed that it was only their right to execute people. So what does Jesus do?? …Writes on the ground and ignores them (verse 6,7).

Although there are many speculations as to what Jesus was writing, His words in verse 7 make it evidently clear what was in His heart. “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first”. What a radical, wise and wonderful statement. In one sentence Jesus silences His critics and shows the Father’s grace at the same time. When God’s words are spoken it almost causes us to question our heart and our consciences are convicted. Who remained standing after searching their hearts? No-one, why? Because everyone present, had no right to throw a stone because they were all guilty of sin. Who was the only one left standing? Jesus, why? Because He was the only one without sin. He was the only one who could justly punish the woman for her sin, yet in His infinite mercy, forgives and sends the woman away, commanding her to sin no more “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This act of kindness shows that God is a merciful and gracious Judge. He had all authority given to Him by the Father yet He chose to love her and at the same time convict her condemner’s.  However this is not to say that Jesus was oblivious of her sin and discounted it or even closer still, nor is He oblivious of our sin. He forgave yes but also commanded her to sin no more. Let us not take God’s grace for granted and use it to live a reckless and sinful life but rather let God’s forgiveness change and transform our lives, so that we no longer live with our sinful attitudes but are radically changed to become more like Him. This also stands as a reminder that we are not to judge other’s for we are all with sin. Jesus’ has reserved that right for Himself only as He is without sin.

“Let Him without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7) 

Thursday 17^th January

Philippians 4:5-7

A woman once said to me, after I had complained that I was walking slowly due to my broken leg, that I should consider the blessing of having more time to observe God’s creation and smell the roses in the gardens. What a wonderful statement of faith and acknowledgement of God’s blessings even in the hard times. See God’s grace helps us recognise His beauty and His blessing even when we feel like there is no hope in the midst of our desert. He has lavished His love on us that whatever stands in our way, although difficult at the time, will be washed away by His infinite gracious Hands. God’s desire is that we may glorify Him in whatever situation we are found in. Again it is not to say that we will not face testing times but rather that understanding our position in Christ helps us to re-evaluate our attitudes knowing that every step we take, Jesus is right by our side.

Paul in today’s verses also encourages us not to become anxious or worried about situations we face but to place our trust in the Father’s loving Hands.  He starts off in verse 4 by encouraging the church of Philippi to rejoice in every circumstance. Paul believes this to be of much importance, so in typical Biblical fashion in sections of great importance, he repeats himself and says ‘again I say rejoice’. (Rejoicing doesn’t always mean we should walk about with a smile on our face but it’s an attitude of knowing God’s peace in our circumstance). However if you are like me then you would probably find this hard and feel like Paul is being unreasonable. Rejoice always? Do you know what I am going through? Well if that is you…STOP right there. Paul is not just saying this statement with a blasé and unrealistic approach to life, he is living this out in his own life because he has personally found that whatever situation he has been in, he has learnt to be content and rejoice in the Lord (verse 11-13), because he knew Christ was with him. In fact this very letter was most probably written deep down in the Roman prisons.

This may still seem a far shout I hear you say? That was ok for him but where is God in my situation? Lets look at verse 6. Paul again commands the believers not be anxious for anything or worried about everything. He simply states that all our needs, problems and desires should always be presented to God in prayer, with thanksgiving knowing that He is above our problems and is more than able to help.

There are 5 words, which I feel should belong to verse 6 instead of verse 5. “The Lord is at hand”. Now read the beginning of verse 6. If the Lord is hand in our circumstance then what cause do we have to worry about our situations? Paul describes this Fatherly care in such a way that we can only be humbled that an Almighty Creator God who has a store for the snow in the Heavens, whose Eyes light up the expanse of the skies, would care about my personal problems. In fact in verse 7 Paul puts the icing on the cake. When we present our needs before Almighty God, knowing that He is at hand, not only does He promise to answer but He gives us His perfect peace that transcends all human understanding, to guide us through our circumstances. His love and peace guard our hearts from thoughts of anxiety, fear and worry. This is how we see God’s blessings through hard times. Knowing that His grace fills our hearts with peace and that He is right there with us, holding our hands, guiding and fighting for us. What a great picture of Father God.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me..” verse 13

Wednesday 16^th January

Matthew 25:1-13

As we read yesterday, in one of the parables in Jesus’ Olivet discourse, the King (Jesus) will soon come again and take His bride (the Church) to be with Him at His wedding banquet. We learnt that no-one knows the time when He will return but it’s in the preparation that we are to be equipped and ready.

There is however, another significant lesson that can be learnt to complete the understanding of this wonderful parable. Let’s draw our attention to the reaction of the 5 foolish virgins upon hearing the announcement that the groom was coming and the procession would soon be with them.

We read in verse 7 that all the virgins upon awakening, immediately set to prepare themselves for the coming procession by filling their lamps with oil. The problem was that the 5 foolish virgins didn’t bring enough to re-light their lamps. Now watch their reactions in verse 8. They ask the 5 wise virgins for more oil as theirs will soon go out. The problem that lies here is that if the 5 wise virgins were to give their oil away then there literally wouldn’t be enough for all 10 of them to make their journey. In other words, simply put, the 5 wise virgins could not spare any of their oil.

At a first glance, their reaction could be deemed selfish but actually when you think it about it, it’s common sense. You can’t always share with others what you do not have. The simple thing for the 5 foolish women was to go to the shop and buy some more. However we read in verse 10, that while they were out, the groom came and they were locked out of the wedding banquet.

 The lesson I want to highlight from the foolish virgins attitudes, is their reliance on the wise virgins. They expected that they would be able to use the wise virgins resource. Instead of being ready themselves they thought that they could rely on the others. Yet the fact is that they couldn’t and they were left to face the consequence of their own unprepared actions.

 The truth is today that we too so often rely on others for our salvation or to feed us the milk we think we need. We still are on the weaning stages in our walk with Christ and our reliance on others takes away the needs of our own preparations and self-searching. The truth is, much like the 5 foolish virgins, is that when the time comes to be counted in joining in with the Bridal procession, your own preparations will leave you wanting if you have relied on some one else bringing extra oil. The decisions that we make in our lives determine our walk with God. We can’t rely on others to get us in the Kingdom, (although that doesn’t mean that we should stop praying for those who are not saved), our relationship with God is something that is personal, precious and requires a lifetime of self-seeking to prepare our hearts for the coming Groom. Don’t live a comfortable life spending your resources on worldly and material possessions, neglecting your Spiritual investments and relying on others to drag you into the Kingdom of God. Rather invest your resources into your own life first making sure that you are ready for Christ’s return (again this is not say that we should not pray or help others but the emphasis is on self preparation first!).

“But if the servant is evil and thinks ‘My Master wont be back for a while’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying and getting drunk? The Master will soon return unannounced and unexpected, ……. and assign him a place with the hypocrites.” Matthew 25:48-50 (NLT)

Be ready…Search your own Heart!

Tuesday 15^th January

Matthew 25:1-13

This wonderful passage in Matthew 25 stands as the authoritative Word of God, highlighting that no-one (not even the Mayans) know when Jesus will come back to take His bride to be with Him for eternity. What we do know is that He is coming and we have to be ready. Join with me as we study this glorious parable.

Jesus starts this parable with the common imagery of a Jewish wedding. His audience (the disciples) were more than familiar with the ‘wedding scenario’ and almost knew what to expect from this story. However Jesus used this picture of a wedding to highlight an important principle, of how He viewed His relationship with the ‘church’. So Jesus begins to describe the wedding procession that the 10 virgins were waiting for. Traditionally in the Jewish wedding feast, the bride would wait for the groom in her house. The groom would go to the bride’s house, where he would ask permission to marry his fiancé and pay a dowry for her. Then the wedding party would start a procession to the groom’s house where a large feast would take place and depending on the wealth of the groom, could take up to a week to end.

The procession usually took place at midnight hence the lamps/torches in this story. They would commonly be an oil-based lamp attached to a pole and held up. So back to the story. We have 10 virgins who are awaiting this procession back from the bride’s house. Now its important to note that at this point Jesus doesn’t differentiate between them, at this point they all looked the same. The difference comes only in verse 2 when it’s stated that 5 were wise (bringing extra oil) and the other 5 foolish (not bringing extra oil).

The groom is delayed and the tired virgins fall asleep. They are awoken by a loud shout announcing the arrival of the groom. Notice that the groom in verse 6 comes unexpectedly. The virgins were supposed to be ready and waiting but instead they all got caught in their slumber and almost missed the procession. Yet the emphasis of this parable is not the suddenness of the groom’s arrival but the unprepared 5 foolish virgins who missed out on the procession due the fact that they were away purchasing more oil. They had forgot or missed the obvious element in preparing for a midnight procession. They had the torch, they had the attire but they forgot the oil for their lamp. They were simply unprepared for the grooms return from the bride’s house.

The turning point in this story that defined the identity of the virgins was in the preparations they had put into the wedding feast. On face value they were all the same. They all fell asleep waiting for the groom. The defining moment was when the situation revealed their foolishness in not bringing extra oil. The sadness of the situation is that they missed out on the wedding banquet. Yet the truth of this parable is in verse 12. Their foolishness not only meant they missed on the banquet but were disgraced when the groom turned and said he did not know them.

The concluding statement in verse 13 summarises the point of this parable. Be ready,  for no-one knows when the groom (Jesus) will return to take His bride (the Church). The challenge is not in the waiting but in the preparation of His return. All the virgins fell asleep whilst waiting yet only 5 were commended for being prepared for the return of the groom. So it is with us. We know Jesus will return, yet instead of waiting idly, our focus and efforts should be made to be ready and prepared for His return. Is your heart ready to receive the coming King and join in with the procession of the saints to our Heavenly home or will you be rejected and not recognised on the momentous day? 

Monday 14^th January

Proverbs 15:1-2, Psalm 19:14

“Saruman believes that it’s only great power that can hold evil in check but that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.”

The above extract is taken from the recent film release ‘The Hobbit’. It is the kind of line that stuns you and takes you into deep thought. A line you don’t expect to hear in a secular film. The simple truth of this statement stands as a testament to all believers. Of course ultimately it is Christ in us that gives us victory over sin and evil (for Christ’s power is un-rivalled and comprehensively defeated the enemy), yet it is in our everyday acts of kindness that evil in this dark world is overcome. You don’t have to be the most gifted evangelist or knowledgeable scholar to stand against evil. Evil is defeated by simple acts of kindness and love (which of course are an outworking of Christ in us). Let us expand on this in the first of our verses today, Proverbs 15:1-2.

The writer of Proverbs here identifies the simple ingredient to overcoming evil; the power of gentle and kind words. It says in verse 1 that a gentle answer turns away wrath. How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you have discerned the tension levels are beginning to mount and could explode at anytime? Then someone speaks a kind and gentle word and almost immediately the situation is diffused. Why? Because it is in the simple acts of kindness and love that evil is defeated. Words hold authority and the tongue, power. Used foolishly it adds kindle to a fire, yet used with wisdom anger is deflected. God’s words in us hold power and authority. These words can change lives, edify, uplift, encourage and overcome evil. Of course it is only God’s words in us and through us that holds power. In our strength our words are as foolishness, even though sometimes with good intent. So the question that now stands is, are God’s words in us?

David in Psalm 19 highlights the importance of dwelling on God’s word. He says that Law of the Lord brings joy, revives the soul, is sweeter than honey and gives insight for living. Yet it is not only in the mere reading of His words that our lives are transformed but in the indwelling of His words into the depths of heart. Food would be useless if it were not digested into our bodies. It would bring temporary pleasure and satisfaction but would be of no use to our bodies. This is much the same with God’s words. To gain the fullness of God’s word we must be meditating and digesting on it if we are to expect true transformation in our lives from the inside out. The fullness of His words are then lived out in our lives and when the time comes, when a wise or kind word needs to be spoken, instead of our own resources of self coming out, God’s words in us flow out like a river, showering evil with God’s goodness. The discipline is to let the “words of our mouths and the meditation of hearts be pleasing to our Lord and Redeemer.” Let the simple acts of kindness and love, as shown to you by Christ Jesus, be reflected in your own life through your good works and WORDS.

Friday 11^th January

Luke 10:25-37 

Jesus loved a good parable. His parables were relatable stories, told to express divine Heavenly messages. His stories were so creative and very often, left hearts encouraged, convicted and sometimes even confused. Yet this is one of the few parables that concludes with the hearer being questioned and ultimately understanding (hopefully) Kingdom principles.

A young lawyer came to Jesus to out smart Him concerning eternal life. Jesus, in typical Jewish dialogue, answers the question with a question. His asks this young man what his understanding of law is. Jesus applauds the young lawyers answer of loving God and loving his neighbour as himself. Jesus sends him away and tells him that if he does these things (a continual command), then he too will inherit eternal life. The young lawyer meaning to prove himself just and righteous responds with yet another question…Who is my neighbour?

Jesus then tells the familiar story of the Good Samaritan; a Jewish man beaten by thieves, ignored by a Priest and Levite and eventually helped by a Samaritan. The Samaritan pours his own resource and time into this situation of a half dead Jew, takes him to a doctor and pays all his medical fees. Jesus finishes the parable with this question. Who is the Jewish mans neighbour?? The young lawyer answers correctly again and says the one who showed mercy. Jesus for the final time sends him away with the command to go and do likewise.

Of course an important thing to highlight is that the neighbour of the Jewish man in this story was a Samaritan man, whom as we know were not supposed to socialise with each other, let alone help each other. Yet Jesus specifically uses this example to highlight His radical teachings on comfortableness. Jesus’ audience would most probably have been Jew’s and this teaching would have been highly controversial. Yet Jesus is indicating that in order to love your neighbour you sometimes have to step outside the boundaries of your own comfort. Notice the two who walked by the injured Jewish man were supposed to be the ones who should have, in a heartbeat helped him. You could understand if the Levite and Priest walked passed a Samaritan injured on the floor yet Jesus highlights that it was the Samaritan man who helped the Jew. Prejudices and cultural boundaries and turned upside down here. Jesus challenges the young lawyer to not only love God, but to put God’s love into practice with those who he would not usually socialise or interact with. In other words Jesus is saying that he should not only love his own but love outside his comfort zone. And in turn by doing this he will gain eternal life (and of course with loving God as number one priority).

It is much the same in our modern Western world. We are so quick to help people of our own social standing or those within our comfort zones, but we too are challenged to break through our comfort boundaries and reach out to those we might not usually speak to or socialise with. This is an outworking of Christ in us. Even in a church context we sometimes only sit with people we know or like but imagine what a picture it would send out to the world if we would challenge ourselves to put love into practice with those we are not ‘socially’ supposed to speak to. Jesus’ challenge remains for us today. Love your neighbour (everyone) as yourself knowing we are loved much by God.

“Faith without works is dead” James 2:17

Thursday 10^th January

Psalm 139:23-24, John 1:4-9

The role of the sun is both the give warmth and light. I love the sun. We are best friends. I love the warmth that it brings throughout the year and I especially love seeing a beautiful clear blue sky with the sun being the main attraction. Yet there are some who don’t like the sun. They do their best to stay away from it’s rays. Yet the reality is that there are very few places you can go during the sun’s high time, where you will not feel the suns warmth or light. However if you were to lock yourself in a dark room with no windows and outside the sun was in its full glory, if there was even one tiny small crack in the room you were in, the light would expose the darkness.

Jesus in John 1 is described as this light; a light that exposes darkness. Yet there are many who could not comprehend the light, rejected it and try to hide away from it. However because Jesus was the all seeing light, those who tried to run from His light rather had their sin exposed instead. Take the Samaritan woman at the well; she tried to hide from the light, yet Jesus exposed her adulteress sins. Or how about the rich man, who came to Jesus professing his righteousness in following all the 10 commandments since his youth, Jesus too exposed his love for money and an unwillingness to give it up for the sake of following Him. Or the strongest example of all, Judas Iscariot; his deceiving desires to help the poor and needy fooled the disciples but Jesus saw straight through and discerned a corrupt and treacherous heart and exposed it at the Last Supper.

The difference with a dark room and us, is that there is no-where we can hide. God’s fiery eyes see right into our souls. We can ‘deceive’ our brothers and sisters but we can’t deceive our Creator. Jesus’ light searches into the deepest depths of our hearts. We must however have an attitude like David. He knew that in his heart there was wrongdoing yet in his desire for purity he pleads with God to remove the things exposed by His light, so that his path may continue towards everlasting life with God Himself. This must be the same as our attitudes. Knowing God’s light exposes our sin is not enough. We must be like David and ask God to remove things that His light exposes, not hide away and cling on to the things that sever our communion with the Father.

God’s light is like the sun’s rays. We may have an old dusty table by the window. We may try to clean it with our spray or polish. Yet as soon as we open the curtain and let the sunlight in, there is dust on the table. Did the light bring the dust?? No. It merely exposed the dust. This is the same with our relationship with God and His exposing light. We may think that there are areas in our lives that don’t need cleaning or that we think we have already cleaned, but God’s light exposes the sin in the depths of our hearts. Our response to that light can be to hide away or to humbly submit to a Holy God in forgiveness and repentance knowing that your decision will determine your “eternal path” (Psalm 139:24).

God desires that His light may not just expose our sin and lead us into repentance but also that we might know His love more towards us. He desires that we give every part of ourselves to Him, just as He gave everything for us. 

Wednesday 9^th January

Isaiah 40:27-31

In an astonishing and revealing prophecy, Isaiah highlights in this passage, the Father heart of God to His beloved children, His chosen people Israel. Although

they will soon fall into captivity as a result of their rebellion to God, in His mercy He is already planning their return from captivity and through the prophet Isaiah, comforts them and reminds them of His awesome power and love towards them.

We read in the first parts of this amazing chapter, of God’s magnitude and sovereignty over all the Earth. Isaiah reminds the Israelites that the Lord God has no equal; no-one can match His greatness or be compared to His might. Verse 16 says that “all the trees and animals of Lebanon (and that was a lot) would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.” What an amazing picture. This is not to say that Isaiah is painting a picture of an arrogant God but rather reminding them that the very image of the splendour and enormity of God cannot be matched.

Today’s passage is the pinnacle of this text. The Israelites were questioning God as to why He had abandoned them in their time of need (even though it was self-inflicted) and left their prayers unanswered. Yet this beautiful section about God’s character reminds the Israelites that actually He was right there with them. He asks two rhetorical questions challenging the Israelites to remember what they know of God’s character. But he doesn’t wait around to get an answer from them. He proceeds by encouraging them that God is an everlasting God, the Creator of the Earth and He never grows weary. In other words, the Israelites might grow tired of their groaning and moaning yet God’s ears were always attentive and He heard their cries. His depth of understanding is un-equalled. Why? Because He was already looking ahead to get them out of the situation they put themselves in and furthermore, He would be with them through it.

Isaiah further encourages them by highlighting that God gives strength to all people, when they are tired and weary, for His resource of strength is endless. When they fall He will pick them up. However there is a condition in this passage found in verse 31, “They that trust in the Lord…. Will find new strength.” By trusting in God in the midst of their circumstance God promises to carry them and renew their strength.

He then gives an amazing imagery of being carried on Eagles wings. Eagles have the ability to fly upwards without actually flapping their wings. They soar on the rising air current (called thermals), extend their wings and rise upwards or maintain a glide. Although Isaiah might not have know this scientific explanation as to how an eagle can effortlessly fly, he knew that this same imagery was God’s heart for His people. Its like God was saying to the Israelites (my words) “stop flapping your wings, your going to make yourself weary…trust me. Let me take you on my wings, for I effortlessly soar in the sky. All you need to do is trust me and hold out your arms.”

This promise still stands for us. Sometimes we get so flustered and burdened by circumstances we find ourselves in. Yet God in His infinite mercy extends His gracious hand and reminds us that He already knows our lives. He just wants us to surrender our will to His, trust Him and be carried by Him through lives rough moments. He didn’t promise that we wouldn’t go through hard times on earth but He did promise that if we trust Him, He would carry us through it.

Tuesday 8^th January

John 15:1-17

It surprise’s me when I see small plants grow in the middle of street roads. They grow so powerful that they sometimes cause the tarmac to crack. Or how about when you see trees grow in a barren dry desert. The answer is simple. Its sources are unseen to the human eye. So often the roots of these plants or trees go far beyond what we would associate with their size or location. The plants and trees dig deep into the earth’s resources to pull out from it the nutrients that will aid their growth. We only see the by-product of the hard work that has been invested by these plants.

This is much the same in our lives. When we tap into God’s eternal source of Love and Joy our lives change and bear the fruit of one who is drawing from the True Vine. Today’s passage talks of this Vine. Jesus describes the Father as the Vine Dresser (gardener) and Himself as the Vine. We (humanity) are the branches. Jesus goes on to describe the Fathers roll in this metaphor. His job is to cut off the branches that do not bear fruit and to prune the ones that do so they will bear more fruit. In actual fact this methodology of pruning a vine tree is one that was and is commonly used in the gardening world. Jesus again is using examples that all people would have understood.

Jesus warns the disciples that in order to stay part of the Vine they must abide in Him. His teaching would prune and purify the believers and in turn would produce good fruit. Those who did not believe His teaching (consequentially do not bear fruit) would be cut and thrown away like useless branches to be burned. The two types of “branches” both are given the same opportunity to listen and to remain in the Vine, yet their response will determine their eternal fate.

Those who do stay in the Vine, hear Jesus’ teaching (The Word), listen to it, obey it and live it out in their lives will bear much fruit and glorify the Father through their lifestyles. A gardener takes pride in making his plants beautiful even if it means pruning them but the end product is beautiful and well worth the hard work. So it is when we bear good fruits, God the Father gets the glory. The question is how do we stay in the Vine tree?

The answer is found in the pictures of the barren desert tree and the rose in the middle of the road. Digging deep into God’s eternal source, not only provides us with direction for our lives, saves us from our sin, gives us joy, but also sustains us in life’s hard journey. Jesus’ love for us is unprecedented. No one can even compare the love He has for us. It is eternal, unending and it is His very character. Yet we are warned in verses 9 and 10, that in order to remain in His love, we must obey His commands (His teaching). That is not to say God would love us any less but rather that we miss out on the intimate relationship that is gained from abiding in the Vines eternal source.

The blessings of remaining in this love are that we would be called the ‘friends of God’ and that in accordance with God’s will we may ask whatever we need and it will be given (Verse 7)(fruitful prayers).  A fruitful believer is one who is firstly obedient to God’s words, abides in His divine love, is willing to be pruned (getting rid of attitudes and attributes in your life that corrupts your character) in order to bear more fruit and one who has his roots deep into the Father’s heart, so that whatever may come his way, he will not be moved. Are you living as a fruit bearing believer whose roots are in God’s eternal source??

Monday 7^th January

John 4:7-26

I recently watched a film with my wife called the ‘Bucket List’. Without spoiling the conclusion it’s about two men from different walks of life being united by a common factor. Before they die they both want to do all the things they wanted to do in their youth but never got round to it or couldn’t afford it. In their adventure they explore their biggest dreams and desires together. After the film finished I questioned what I would like to do before I died (a morbid thought I know for the beginning of the year). The more I thought about it the more I realised that although material pleasures temporarily satisfy and thrill us, they always leave us wanting more. The truth is that there is nothing I could do that would fill my heart and leave me not wanting more other than knowing Jesus and living out His purpose for my life.

Lets take a look at today’s passage and see what Jesus says about eternal satisfaction. Jesus on His way to Galilee from Judea crossed through the ‘no-go-land’ of Samaria. Jews didn’t like Samarians and visa-versa. This traditional journey from Judea to Galilee was sometimes planned to bypass/go around Samaria via the Jordan river, due to the hostilities of the two peoples, although it would have been a greater journey. However Jesus had a purpose in visiting Samaria.

He meets a woman at a well whilst taking some rest from His long journey. Jesus’ humanity is shown here as He is genuinely tired and thirsty (verse 6). He asks the Samaritan woman for a drink (another no no), knowing that her response would lead to confusion, as Jew’s were not supposed to talk with Samaritans, especially not to women. But Jesus in His wisdom goes beyond the realms of cultural boundaries and human living to expose a deeper thirst in the woman’s life. He knew that the woman thirsts was not just physical but also spiritual.

He offers the Samaritan woman the water from a spring that never runs dry. Jesus explains that the water He can give would quench her thirst eternally. The woman understands this statement with a fleshly understanding. Yet Jesus highlights His deity by probing into the woman’s life and exposing her adulteress nature. She then realises that she is talking to someone who has a prophetic gifting. However Jesus explains that He is not a prophet but the Messiah. Jesus knew that this woman had an understanding of the prophetic literature but He also knew that she thirsted for more in her life. In exposing her sinful nature, He highlighted a problem in her heart. There was an emptiness in her life that was being filled through her adulteress attitude.

It is an attitude that is much the same in our lives. So often we replace Jesus’ living, eternal water in our lives with temporary satisfactions. You can eat in the nicest place in the world and the next day you will hunger again. You can give into an addiction and it might temporarily satisfy you but you will soon desire its fix again. Jesus explains in John 7:37-39 that this ‘living water’ is the Spirit of God in our life. There is nothing on this earth that can satisfy you as much as God’s Spirit in our lives. It is unquenchable, imperishable and eternal. And the best thing about it is that it’s free. Isn’t amazing how we spend our earthly resources in temporary pleasures to gain happiness, joy and peace (which leave us feeling empty, dry and yearning for more) yet the gift of God’s Spirit is totally free and gives us true joy, peace and happiness. The only thing it costs is a decision to follow Him and a submissive lifestyle to become more like Jesus.

When the woman at the well knew whom it was that spoke to her she ran and told all people in the village. She knew that the one who could fill her emptiness had come, the Saviour of the world (verse 42). Our response to the knowledge of Jesus’ Living Water should be seen in and through our lives.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  Matthew 5:6