Receiving God’s gift of salvation is the greatest gift we will ever receive. A Samaritan woman approached the well to draw water in the heat of the day. It was then she saw Jesus, who was resting by the well. Being a woman who had been married five times and living with another, she went to the well in the heat of the day to avoid people.
Everyone would have known her reputation in a small community, but only she knew the shame she was experiencing. Shame is the inner experience of being “not wanted.” It is feeling worthless, rejected, or cast out.[1] Often, when we have drifted away from the Lord or are in sinful behavior, we think that God does not care about us but only looks to condemn us, but that is not true.
God Intervenes When We Least Expect It
When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water, she did not realize that she was encountering the living God. John 4:9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” [2]
In God’s grace, He had a divine appointment with this woman that would transform her life. God shows up when we least expect it, calling us back to Himself. This woman was a lost sheep who needed a Savior. When others may have shunned her, Jesus met her where she was. He told her about His gift. She was not aware of this gift and what a treasure it is. Everyone who invites Jesus into their heart as their Savior receives God’s free gift of salvation.
God Loves Us
God loves us so much and paid the price for all our sins on the cross. Although the gift of salvation is free to us, it cost Jesus great pain, suffering, and death. 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that Jesus wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.[3] No one, no matter their past, is out of the reach of our Savior. Shame can make us feel we are not worthy of love, especially from the Lord. When Jesus offered her living water, something inside her began to change.
Living in shame and rejection creates fear inside of us. But when we show genuine concern and compassion, these people can receive God’s love. As believers, the Lord calls us to be salt and light. This means we can be Jesus with skin on to those around us, especially those rejected by the culture. Simple caring for others opens the door for the Holy Spirit to work through us to share the good news of Jesus through our words and actions.
To learn more about receiving God’s gift, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-woman-at-the-well
[1] https://christianhelpfordepression.org
[2,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.