Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
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.”
John 4:1-10
You might be familiar with the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. I encourage you to read the entire story (verses 1-26). In our Scripture today, we read just the first ten verses.
The entire 26 verses share a beautiful story of Jesus revealing Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman, who in turn returns to the city and tells everyone about Him.
But what caught my attention recently is what Jesus says in verse 10.
Look at what Jesus says: “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.”
There’s something simple, but powerful, in that statement. An invitation—because what was true for the Samaritan woman is true for you and me.
Jesus is the gift of God for our lives. Because God so loved each of us, He sent His Son to us. What a gift! Jesus is a gift available not just to the woman at the well, but to us as well.
And if we only knew how amazing and precious and powerful and loving this gift of God truly is to each of us—we would ask Him for living water.
In other words, the more we know and appreciate who we are in relationship with, the more inclined we become to ask Him for water and life.
So before you go on about your business of the day—whatever that might be—ask the Lord to meet with you and speak to you and provide you with the Living Water that offers each of us the opportunity to never thirst again.
Only the great gift of God can offer that to us. And He is sitting down, at the edge of the well in your life today, wanting to give it to you. He’s only waiting for you to ask.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son. May I never take for granted the grace and mercy You have shown me. Thank You for the gift of life. May I see You in pursuit of it today. Amen.