Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
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 Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
John 4:27-38 (CSB)
The woman at the well was someone who wanted to hide, to avoid others. She was living a story of shame, but Jesus came and sat with her, talked with her, and brought her life into the light. He didn’t do this to expose her but to free her from the shame and release her into new life. For a woman who didn’t want to be seen, she was seen by Jesus. For a woman who wasn’t known for who she was, she was known by Jesus. Her story was forever changed, and she was bursting at the seams to tell everyone about it.
When our lives are changed, when God’s kingdom breaks through in our lives, in big and small ways, we say to others, “Come and see!” Our testimony awakens others to seek and find, and when one seed bears fruit, it leads to a harvest.
Tell your story and invite others to come and see what God has done.
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I once knew a teenage girl who struggled along her childhood with her identity and security. When she hit her puberty, she decided to hide all her insecurities underneath the outer layers of clothes. She thought if all her friends saw her dressed well every time they met, may be she would earn some friendship. If those friends stayed just for a one time thing, it was still a temporary friend of hers. She began to steal clothing from stores so that she could looked good to them. One day, she just stole a top from a shop and aggravated the alarm as she walked out of the stores. She was not caught by the staff, but she was caught by a brother that go to the same church. He pulled her aside and asked her calmly, “do you know what you did was wrong?” Tears began to wet her face and she sat there quietly with her head down. The brother continued,” don’t let me see you doing that again, or I will bring you to the police”. He walked away, leaving her alone on that bench. She continued to cry, thinking all she wanted was some friends to hang around. She realized it was God that gave her a second chance. Isn’t that what God do ? He gives us a second chance, a third one, a fourth one and continuously. She went home and gathered all the stuff that did not belong to her and dealt with them. From then on, she repented and no longer tied herself from materialism. As she moved on with her life, there was a long time she was angry at her dad. She always felt deserted from her dad, not loved, appreciated, lack of affirmation etc. That really bothers her. She became frustrated easily but had no clues how to set herself free. One day she was attending church Sunday School and the teacher was sharing to Love is to forgive and forget. Boy, that really stuck with her. As she did not know what to do, she turned herself to Jesus. So she started to pray to God every day. She asked God to help her to love her dad, to forgive and forget the hurt that her dad did to her. After a long time of praying, I am talking about a few years of praying. One day she realized she responded to her dad in compassion and love. It was that day that she saw her dad climbing a ladder to clean a ceiling fan. She ran to him and begged him to come down so that he would not get hurt. Right there, she realized God had done an amazing work on their relationship. Many years later, her dad accepted Jesus as his Savior. She invited her parents to live with her and her husband at their senior age. They talked, laugh and shared many moments together. She prayed with him at his bedside every night and kissed him on his cheek and told him how much she loved him. This grown up girl realized that it was not that her dad not live her. It was how he was brought up himself. God is more than a God that is described on our bible. He is real, mighty, full of love and kindness, and redeem many relationships. He is waiting for you to turn to Him and accept His help. Oh! This teenage girl is now sharing this message to you. Amen!
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing Linda! ❤️
Thank you ! Amen !
Linda,
Such a beautiful touching story. It is so like God to turn a person around & change their hearts. So glad He did that for you.
Blessings 🙂
Linda, Such a beautiful , heartfelt message. I believe it must be very personal to you and God had worked his wonders within your family. Life can turn around on us. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes we must open the doors one at a time. Thank you for sharing. From another Lynda
Thank you ! I struggled for a while and then I think there is no need for me to be ashame if. I am not talking about my story. I am talking God’s glory shining in my life. I have to say I never felt so peaceful to talk about this. I guess God is guiding me to step forward. Thanks again for your encouragement!
God gives us all second chances. We all do wrong at times. We all mess up from time to time. I guilty of that myself. So many tiimes I went to Jesus in prayer forgiveness. I say and do things I know I shouldn’t do. Then after I done them. I feel bad say why Dawn did you do or say that. I feel bad. I do find it sometimes the hardest thing in the word to be a follower of Jesus. I do try. Days I walk really well reading my Bible standing on the promises in Gods word. Saying my Prayers. The next I mess up not reading Gods word the Bible or Saying my Prayers. I have said or done something I shouldn’t have. I have to God then in Prayer as I feel so so so Guilty. Ask God for another chance of forgiveness. Like the women in todays reading. God knows already what I have all ready done wrong. But he still Loves me. God would not Change me or stop Loving me. If I truly turn to him in prayer and ask him to forgive me for my wrong my Sin. God will forgive me. If I ask God help not too do it again. God will help me not to do it again. God does help me not to do it again. I tell God the truth. I do find it hard to be a Christian and live my life as Christian. But I am glad to be saved. As I not have my life other way. I am glad Jesus is my Saviour. I am Saved. Thank you for today’s reading it spoke to me. Dawn Ferguson-Little xx
In Courage,
Everyone has a testimony to tell. Sometimes it can be a big mountain top experience. Mostly it is simple everyday small valley struggles. Either way we are changed & our lives show it. For me it was September 7, 2005 at a Wednesday night church Bible study. The pastor was preaching & he mentioned Acts 2:38 several times. He talked about repentance & being baptized. I used to think I was baptized-being raised Methodist they sprinkle you as a young baby. That night God spoke to me. I went to the parsonage & talked it over with pastor, came back & got “dunked” baptized. From that point on I have changed how I behave. Eagerly try to help out any where I can. My language is different with less cursing. My prayer life & Bible reading is greatly improved.
A few years later my dad had a change of heart also. He was caring for my mother-bedridden with dementia. He would read the Bible Psalms, Proverbs & New Testament. He spoke with my pastor & said “you know those 10 commandments? I’ve broken them a bunch.” Long story short pastor worked it out & got my dad baptized. After mom died dad would come to church with me some. Each time he saw pastor he would say that’s the man who got me all wet.
Blessings 🙂
That is a lovely story that cause me hang a sweet smile on my face. Thank you for sharing!