In a Mirror Dimly

Scripture

John 4:11-14

11 She said* to Him, “Sir , You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Observation

Jesus refreshes the deep places in our hearts

Application

When Jesus told this woman that if she would have asked him he would have given her living water, she only looked at him with her limited understanding. She has no spiritual sight yet. All she can think of is the physical world. She knows getting water requires a bucket and she saw he had no bucket, so no way to get water. She also tells him the well is deep. As I was thinking on why she said that, I came up with two possible reasons. One, she could be commenting on the fact that a stranger might not know that the water coming from the well was cold and refreshing because of its depth. In other words, maybe she is saying to him, “You’re offering me something better than what I can get here? Who are you to make that offer and how will you do it?” Another possible reason she might have commented on the well being deep is to tell Jesus that it won’t be easy to retrieve the water. But we know something beyond the physical is going on here. The woman is speaking of the physical realities of thirst and water, but Jesus is speaking of the spiritual realities of desire and satisfaction.

How well do you know yourself? It’s safe to say that you know yourself better than any other living person on earth, but there is One who knows more. Someone created you. You can only see what you can see. There are some things in us so deep that only the Lord who made us can help us see them and then meet the need. Some desires are deep within us. He is deeper still. We realize the woman doesn’t understand spiritual realities yet, but don’t we do the same thing even when we do have spiritual sight? Don’t we look with our physical eyes, and question how he will deliver on the staggering promises in the Scriptures? We wonder, “Is what He’s offering really better than what I can manufacture in my own strength by following my own way?” And deep wells are hard to get to. It takes effort…and really…who has the energy? The Good News really is good. He knows what you need even when you don’t and He meets needs you can’t meet.  He is the living water. His presence is enough. … He bids us to come and drink the water without price. Slow down today and meet with Him.

Prayer

Lord, we desperately need you. We don’t even know how much we need you. Draw us to yourself today. Fill us with your overwhelming goodness. Help us see You. Thank you for promising that you will never leave us or forsake us.