“And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:27-42

One of the greatest proofs of the truthfulness of the Bible is how accurately it describes you and me and the lost and sinful world in which we live. The Bible says of me, and of you as well: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5); “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21); “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9); “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20); “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19).

Listen to the description in Romans 3:9-20: “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

We may not like this description of ourselves and might like to paint a more favorable portrait. But, if we are honest about it, we must admit that the description of the Bible is accurate and true. Every one of us is, by nature, selfish and inclined to evil. Not one of us is righteous. The sins we haven’t committed in deed we probably have committed in our thoughts and desires.

Even though we may not like the Bible’s revelation of our utter sinfulness, it proves the Bible true. What other book or religious writing so accurately describes the human heart or the results of sin in the world? Other religious writings would make us look at least a little bit good. They would direct us to reform and change as if we were capable of such reform and change. They would make it look as through we can make things right in this world. Only the Bible reveals our utter depravity and sinfulness. And the Bible reveals the coming fiery judgment of God upon this world so that He can create – or recreate – a new heavens and a new earth unravaged by sin and evil and death.

At the well in Samaria, Jesus revealed to a woman there her utter sinfulness. She didn’t have to tell him she had had five husbands and was now living together with a man who was not her husband; Jesus told her. As a result, she realized that Jesus was more than just a man.

When Jesus told her He was the promised Messiah – the Christ – she went and told the men of her city: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” And they came to see Jesus. Note that this woman did not present an elaborate theological argument to convince her town’s people that Jesus was the promised Messiah. All she had to do was say, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

When Jesus’ disciples came and urged Him to eat some of the food they had bought, Jesus said to them, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of … My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

The fields were indeed ripe for harvest. The people of the city came to see Jesus because of the witness of the woman at the well. Jesus stayed there at Sychar and taught the people for two days before resuming His journey.

And the Word of God tells us that “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Through the witness of this sinful woman to her Messiah and Savior, the people came to see and hear Jesus. Through her testimony and the Word of the Lord Jesus, many of them also came to trust in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior from sin and death. And the same is true today. We may not have knowledge of every theological argument for Jesus being the Messiah and Savior of the world. But we can say: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” And if people will but come and listen to Jesus – if they will hear His Word – many will, by the gracious working of God’s Spirit, come to believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior.

Why? Jesus does not mince words about sin. He tells it like it is and reveals our utter sinfulness. But He also went to the cross and suffered and died for our sins – for the sins of the whole world – and rose again. In Jesus there is forgiveness and life eternal, and He reaches out to lost sinners everywhere with His word of pardon and forgiveness. He offers and gives life everlasting in His heavenly kingdom.

Again, the Bible tells us that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures … He was buried … He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

Yes, we “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” but we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23,24). “In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

And if we but direct people to Jesus and His revelation of Himself in the Holy Scriptures, many will come to know and trust in Him. By the gracious working of God’s Spirit through the Word, they will come to faith in their Messiah and Savior.

Then, we too may hear people say what the Samaritans said to this woman who directed them to Jesus: “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

God grant that we hear the Word of God and so know and trust in Jesus as the Messiah and our Savior from sin, and that we would also direct others to Jesus that they might hear Him, know Him and trust in Him for eternal salvation. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” John 4:25-26

Who is Jesus? Is He just a great teacher and prophet, as many today would say? Who did Jesus claim to be?

When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in Samaria and answered her question regarding true worship of God, she said, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”

Jesus’ answer was straight to the point: “I that speak unto thee am he.”

Jesus Himself claimed to be the promised Messiah, the Anointed One – Christ in the Greek – together with all that the Scriptures taught concerning the Christ. He claimed to be the LORD’s anointed of Psalm 2 – the only-begotten Son of God who would judge and rule the world. He was and is the promised prophet of Deuteronomy 18, the perpetual priest after the order of Melchizedek of Psalm 110, and the eternal king of Jeremiah 23; Micah 5; and 2 Samuel 7. Jesus’ knowledge of this woman’s life – past and present – was proof of the truthfulness of His claim.

Elsewhere, too, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. To Nicodemus, He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14-16). To the Jews He said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), claiming to be the great “I Am,” Jehovah God Himself in human flesh.

Why did Jesus reveal to this woman His true identity? At the very beginning of His conversation with the woman at the well, Jesus had told her, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (v. 10). Jesus desired that this woman look to Him for forgiveness and life everlasting. He had compassion on her, a love for her soul and desired her to receive from Him life-giving water – the Holy Spirit, faith and eternal salvation.

Who speaks to us through the pages of Scriptures? Who confronts us with our sinfulness and also offers us forgiveness and life in His name? Is it just a man? A great teacher? A prophet sent from God? No, it is the promised Christ, the Messiah, God the Son in human flesh and the Savior of the world.

Why does Jesus reveal Himself to us? Why does He open our eyes and let us see and learn from the Scriptures that He is indeed “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16; cf. v. 17)? It is because He desires our salvation. He desires to give us to drink of His Spirit and have faith in His innocent sufferings and death in our stead that the thirst of our souls would be satisfied and we would find in Him forgiveness for all our sins and everlasting life! He does not want us to be lost and forever condemned but desires us to know Him, trust in Him and reign with Him in His everlasting kingdom.

God grant to you and to me the blessing of knowing Jesus for who He truly is, and the blessing of faith in His name that our thirsting souls might be satisfied and we might live forever with Christ Jesus.

Dearest Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing to us in Your Word that You are indeed the long-promised Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world, that we might place our hope and confidence in You and not be condemned along with this world but have everlasting life with You in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

Meditations in the Parables of Jesus

THE SEED AND ITS GROWTH

Read Mark 4:26-29

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

This parable of Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a man who sows his seed and waits until the seed of itself springs up and grows, maturing until the harvest. Then the farmer puts in the sickle for the harvest. The farmer can only sow good seed, cultivate the crops and wait for the fruit to mature. He himself cannot make the seed grow and produce fruit.

The kingdom of God is like this in that all we as Christians can do is sow the pure Word of God. We cannot make it grow or produce fruit. The power to create spiritual life and produce fruit lies in God’s Word and not in us as the sowers. It is our task to sow the Word of God; but the results must be left up to the Holy Ghost, who works through the Word to bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ, build them up and preserve them in the faith.

We cannot see how faith is created in the heart, nor should we expect to harvest immediately after the seed is sown. Our Lord Jesus has given us the simple task of sowing the good seed of God’s Word. The rest is up to Him!

Let us then diligently sow the Word! By means of God’s Law, the Holy Ghost will convict men of their sins and show them their guilt before the Almighty God. By means of the Gospel, He will comfort them with the assurance that their sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death in their stead. If we only sow the Word, we need not worry about the results. They remain in God’s hands, and He has promised that His Word will not return unto Him void.

It is as the Scripture says in Isaiah 55:10-11: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Let us then sow the pure Word and await the harvest!

On what has now been sown Thy blessing, Lord, bestow; the pow’r is Thine alone to make it spring and grow. Do Thou in grace the harvest raise, and Thou alone shalt have the praise. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn 46, Verse 1)

Pastor Randy Moll

What Kind of Heart Do You Have?

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

About whose heart is Jeremiah the prophet speaking in this passage? It must describe the murderer, the thief, the adulterer. It even sounds like the heart of some people I know. It could be that fellow employee, my ex-spouse, the neighbor that is always complaining and causing me trouble. But whose heart is Jeremiah describing? The truth is he is describing your heart and mine.

Our hearts deceive us into thinking that we are pretty good; and, when we sin, our heart comes up with a thousand excuses to justify what we have done. If you don’t think your heart is deceitful and wicked, just think back over the thoughts that have gone through your mind, the things you have desired, the words and actions which almost spilled out. I’m afraid that the thoughts and desires of my heart would shock the people I know. In fact, I am often appalled at what goes on in my heart and what sometimes comes out of it in the form of words and actions!

Jesus says the same thing of our hearts in Matthew 15:19: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” And how could Jesus know what’s in our hearts? Jeremiah writes further: “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10).

Our hearts – yours and mine – are “desperately wicked,” and they deceive us into thinking that we’re not all that bad. Yet the imagination of our hearts is evil from our youth (cf. Genesis 8:21). That is why we need a Savior! That is why God Himself took on human flesh and kept the holy law of God for us and then suffered and died upon the cross to bear the full punishment for our sins! That is why the risen Christ poured out His Holy Spirit upon us and regenerated us, giving us faith in Him as our Savior and a new heart which loves the LORD God and desires to please Him!

This is why David, in the Old Testament, prayed: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin … Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:1-2, 10).

Yes, our hearts are wicked, and they would deceive us into thinking they are good. God’s Word describes our hearts as they really are. But God, in His Word, also tells us of His mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and of His gracious working to recreate our hearts in His image.

“Create in me a new heart, Lord, that gladly I obey Thy Word and naught but what Thou wilt, desire; with such new life my soul inspire” (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn 398, v. 3).

Pastor Randy Moll

“Be not afraid,only believe.”

Mark 5:36 (Read Mark 5:21-43)

Sometimes things seem hopeless. People say such things as: “My sins are too great,” “My disease has no cure,” “Time has run out,” or “There’s nothing anyone can do.”

Jairus, no doubt, was desperate for help when he came to Jesus and begged Him to come and heal his sick and dying daughter. Jairus still had hope. If only Jesus could get there in time, He could lay his hands on her and she would live; but Jesus was delayed.

While on His way to the home of Jairus, with crowds pressing around Him, another sought the healing touch of Jesus, a woman with an issue of blood for 12 years. Physicians couldn’t help her, and it was only getting worse.

“If I can just touch His clothes,” she thought. “I’ll be made well.”

She, unknown to the crowds, reached out and touched but the garment of Jesus and was healed; but Jesus knew and turned to ask who had touched Him. The question seemed foolish to His disciples because of the crowds pressing in on Jesus from every side, but Jesus knew what had happened and took the time to speak words of assurance to the woman.

But then the bad news came. It was too late. The young daughter of Jairus had died.

Just imagine the hopeless pain that must have come over Jairus when he heard the words: “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?”

It was just then, when all hope was gone for Jairus, that Jesus spoke the words: “Be not afraid, only believe.”

Humanly speaking, there was no hope. It was too late. His daughter had died while Jesus delayed to minister to another. But Jesus spoke words of hope to Jairus – it wasn’t too late, Jesus could and would still help.

Of course, we know what happened. Jesus went, put out the mourners, and spoke the words: “Talitha cumi.” These words, translated, mean, “Damsel, I say to you arise.” And what happened? Against all doubts and fears, Jairus’ daughter rose from the dead and got up from her bed.

How often our sinful hearts tell us there is no hope. But Jesus tells us, “Be not afraid, only believe.”

Our hearts tell us our sins are too great – God will never forgive us or accept us into His eternal kingdom. What does Jesus say? “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2).

We worry about having enough food to eat, clothes to wear and money to pay the bills. All seems hopeless to us. What does Jesus say? “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

We face sickness and finally the hour of our death, all looks hopeless. But again, what does Jesus say? “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3). Jesus says, as He said to the dying thief on the cross who had no reason for hope, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 22:43).

When our faith grows weak and all appears hopeless, Jesus speaks words of hope to comfort us, assure us and build up our faith in Him. And since He has suffered and died for our sins and is risen again and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, we have every reason to hope and take comfort in Him!

Pastor Randy Moll

What Do We Believe?

What do we believe about the Sabbath Day? Please consider the statement below and look up the Bible passages.

SABBATH DAY

We believe that the Old Testament observance of the Sabbath and other holy days has been abrogated by God and is not required of the Church under the New Testament (Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:5-6; cf. Acts 15:). The Commandment regarding the Sabbath Day does still require us to regularly take time to hear and learn God’s Word and to worship Him (Exodus 20:8; Isaiah 58:13-14; Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; Psalm 119:15-16; 26:8; 111:1; 95:1-6; 96:1-2). For this reason, we have set aside Sundays and other feast days for the hearing of God’s Word and for our gathering together to worship the LORD our God (Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42). However, the observance of these certain days is a church ordinance made in Christian liberty rather than a divine command binding upon the conscience (Romans 14:5-6).

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

The Adult Bible Class continues its study of the Gospel of John. To prepare, read John 3:30-36; 4:1-26. What does John say of Jesus in verse 30? How should this also be true of us and our church? To what did Jesus testify? Did people receive Jesus’ testimony? Do they today? When people receive Jesus’ testimony, what do they come to know about God? Whose words did Jesus speak? Why did John say this was so? Was the Holy Spirit restricted or limited in the life and ministry of Jesus? What does John say of the Son? What does verse 36 mean? How does this apply to us and all people yet today? Why did Jesus leave Judea? Which route did He take back to Galilee? At what city did Jesus stop? Why? What is significant about the location? Who met Jesus there? What did Jesus ask of her? How did she respond? Why do the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans? What did Jesus tell the woman in verse 10? How is this a fitting response yet today? How did the woman respond? What did Jesus tell her? How is this true for people yet today?

The Catechism Class continues studying the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed and learning of Jesus and what He has done to redeem all mankind.

The Sunday Readings are Psalm 71:1-6; Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 13; and Luke 4:33-44. Please take the time to read them and their context in preparation for Sunday. Marty Jackson will be preaching on Sunday.

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom, but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Ron Wellander who underwent surgery and is recovering and for Bonnie Hawes who underwent tests – for those who have been absent from us, for our students who are away at school, for our extended families and friends, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Haiti, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering.

Events and Announcements

The Choir is practicing for upcoming services. More voices are always welcome.

Monthly Wednesday night Bible studies will continue on the second Wednesday of February and be held at the church at 7 p.m. Next month’s study will continue to look at what the Bible says of the Scriptures. We will also look at the formation of the canon – the 66 books of the Bible.

Wednesday Evening Lenten Worship begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17. Worship will be at 7 p.m. A Soup and Sandwich Supper will precede the service at 6:20 p.m.

The Church Council will hold its February meeting following the Feb. 17 Lenten service.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at mollfoto@yahoo.com.

“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

Proverbs 3:21-26

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

“The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.” John 4:15-18

Is anything hidden from the eyes of the LORD God? Is there any sin or shortcoming in our lives of which our Lord Jesus does not know?

When the woman at the well in Samaria, not understanding the living water which Jesus offered her, asked for Jesus to give her some of that water so she would not thirst or have to come to Jacob’s well to draw water, Jesus told her to go and call her husband and come to Jesus at the well.

“The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”

The fact that this woman had had five husbands and was now living together with a man outside of a marriage covenant was not hidden from the eyes of the Lord Jesus. He knows all and sees all. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

As Psalm 90 says, “Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance” (v. 8).

There is nothing about you or me that the Lord Jesus does not know, no secret sin which is not exposed and open before His face. It will do us no good to attempt to hide or cover up our sins and failures to live in accord with God’s commandments. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

Did Jesus reject and turn away from this woman because of her sinful past and present? Did He refuse to reach out to her with mercy and forgiveness? The answer is no. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He came into this word to redeem us, to suffer and die for the sins of all, whether Jew or Gentile, whether outwardly righteous or openly known as a sinner. Jesus came to save this Samaritan woman even though the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans because of the Samaritans’ mixed race and corrupted beliefs.

As we stand before the Lord Jesus, nothing hidden from His sight, we pray as David did in Psalm 32:5-6: “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.”

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” because “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” ( 1 John 1:9; 2:1,2).

Indeed, it is true that Jesus knows everything about us. No sin, no disobedience, is hidden from His sight. Yet, as He did with the woman at the well in Samaria, He reaches out to us and offers us forgiveness and life in Him – living water which will quench the thirst of our soul for a right relationship with God our Maker.

Lord Jesus, give us this water and satisfy the deepest needs of our thirsty souls. Give us to drink of Your Spirit and to know and trust in You for life everlasting.

O dearest Lord Jesus, Son of God and our Savior, forgive our sins and iniquities, even the secret sins which are open before You, and give unto us Your pardon and peace and a place in Your eternal kingdom. Quench our thirsting souls with the living water which only You can give. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:11-14

What was it that Jesus wanted to give to this Samaritan woman? She didn’t understand, for she thought of water to quench her earthly thirst and wondered how Jesus would be able to give her living water with nothing with which to draw it from the well. She asked Jesus if He was greater than Jacob who dug the well and drank from it.

Jesus pointed out to her that anyone drinking from the well of Jacob would thirst again. This water could only temporarily quench one’s thirst and need for water. The water Jesus offered and wanted to give to her was different. It was a water which would satisfy her spiritual thirst forever. The water which Jesus offers and gives will be in the recipient “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

What was Jesus offering to this woman of Samaria? What does He offer and desire to give to you and to me? Jesus offers and desires to give us Himself and eternal salvation through faith in Him (cf. Isaiah 12).

He says, in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” In chapter 7:37ff, Jesus says, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John goes on to explain: “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.”

Water is, of course, necessary to sustain life; and the people living in the arid parts of Israel knew what it was to thirst. Jesus and the forgiveness and life He won for all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross are needed by all to have life eternal. He desires to give to everyone this living water which springs up into everlasting life, for He wants no one to perish and be lost forever.

It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see Jesus for who He really is: the Son of God and our Savior. It is the Spirit, working through the Word, who assures us that God is gracious to us and forgives our sins for the sake of Jesus’ holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead. It is the Holy Spirit who strengthens us in our faith and keeps us trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and life. And God’s Spirit moves and enables us to share our faith and tell others of Jesus and what He has done for us.

So it is that all who come to know and trust in Jesus as Savior and are baptized in His name have the gift of God’s indwelling Spirit who, not only brought them to such faith and conviction, but keeps them trusting in Jesus and moves them to share their faith with others who thirst spiritually. The life-giving water that Jesus gives is in believers a well of water springing up into everlasting life. It satisfies for eternity and continues to well up within us and refresh us with forgiveness and life.

O dearest Jesus, grant us Your Spirit and the forgiveness and life You have won for us by Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Preserve and keep us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible]