I Wanna Be Where You Are

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” The woman answered, ‘I don’t have a husband.’ ‘That’s right,’ Jesus replied, ‘you’re telling the truth. You don’t have a husband. You have already been married five times, and the man you are now living with isn’t your husband.'” (John 4:17-18)

The story of the Samaritan woman is one of my favorites for a few reasons. The Samaritans were looked at as second-class citizens by the Jews. Furthermore, the woman in this story was seen as a loose-woman (a hoe in today’s terms) because she was married many times and now living with (and probably sleeping with) a man who wasn’t her husband. Despite appearing as someone unworthy of Jesus’ time and attention, He chose her to display His unfailing grace & mercy.

In John 4:17-18 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that he already knows about her history. It’s important to note that Jesus was not judging her, but instead about to display one of His greatest qualities. With already knowing what this woman has done, Jesus still held a conversation with her at the well, offered her His gift of living water, and gave her the chance to come to realize that even though she was living in sin, the Messiah will meet us right where we are and will offer us the gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven. She couldn’t keep this encounter to herself! A true encounter with Jesus, you cannot help but to spread the Good News!

Often times, we are our biggest critic. We also are quick to judge others and hold their past against them. However, in Christ we are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) which means once we accept the Holy Spirit in our hearts, our old sinful nature passes away. There are many lessons to take from the Samaritan woman story. The lesson I’m teaching you today is that this woman had a past, but Jesus Christ saw that this woman was simply filling a void in her heart with men. She thought man could do what only the Son of Man can do. She wanted to be loved, cherished, wanted by someone, noticed, taken care of, and may have thought always having a man beside her would fill the places she felt empty. Just as Jesus said to her only the Water He offers will quench our eternal thirst, accepting Him in our hearts is the only way to fill the voids we are dealing with. No matter your past, Jesus wants to embrace you. No matter what you may have done before, or even doing now, God still wants to bless you. No one is too jacked up for God. Allow His love to penetrate the deepest depths of your heart and soul. Jesus knows our past, and yet still chooses us every day. God will meet you exactly where you are. He knows your story and yet STILL CHOOSES YOU!!!! Isn’t that amazing?! Walk standing tall knowing you serve a God that sees the beauty in the struggle.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you believe we allow ourselves to be defined by our actions, even when we know God wipes our slate clean?

2. If you had the chance to sit at the well with Jesus, what would you ask Him?

3. What are some ways that you fill the voids in your heart? If these ways are going against the Word of God, do you believe you are seeking these things more than a relationship with Christ? Pray that God blesses you with the strength and desire to seek His face and what you should do in order to grow your relationship with Him.

Kiarra Hicks

The4UMovement

https://unapologeticallyki.wordpress.com/