Day 11 - Love First: Beyond Abandonment

Love First: Beyond Abandonment

Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
John 4: 28-30, 39-42

Do you remember how this story started? This Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water around noon so that she wouldn’t have to face the other women of the town. She was somewhat of an outcast. Now, in this section, we see that she has run into town and told people—not just her friends—about her encounter with Jesus. She admitted that Jesus called her out. That impressed the people in the town to the point that they came to see and hear what Jesus had to say.

We know that Jesus told her she had to change her lifestyle. We know that he showed her a higher calling and a higher purpose that started with those changes and with the way she worshiped God. He tore down the walls of distinction between how the Jews would worship and how the Samaritans would worship by defining true worship.

She believed him. We know that as a result of her encounter with Christ, many Samaritans became believers. It’s highly likely that she also became a believer. Although the Scriptures don’t provide us with a “rest of the story,” we can imagine that she got her life together, made the changes she needed to, and as a result became a believer. Based on what happened when she talked with Jesus, we can guess that she didn’t stop talking about him, either. Her desire to share what happened to her probably ran over and into everything she said.

There is life beyond the life challenge of abandonment. Choosing to live Love First gives us the opportunity to accept the challenge, change what needs to be changed, and reap the benefits.

Your Mission
Each time you take a drink today, say a small breath prayer (something like, “Thank you for your gift of living water.”) At the end of the day, make mention of things that made you notice his living water.