IF YOU ONLY KNEW
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
“John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto 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.
John 4:11 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?”
Frank preached out of John 4 this past Sunday and the words “If you knew the gift of God” begin to speak to me. You can’t help but identify with this woman and this story. Jesus was tired, he sent the disciples into the city to fetch something to eat and He rested by this well. Up walks a lady and he strikes up a conversation.
They both had a need; Jesus was thirsty and, well, evidently so was this lady because she brought with her a big bucket.
I think all of us can relate to her bucket. She carried it around probably her whole life. Just when we think our bucket is full we find something else to throw in there. I remember my childhood dream was to travel the country in a VW van, going to music festivals, and living in tents. (It was the 70’s!) That was my bucket at the time. The funny thing about that is, I did live in tents at our bible school as missionary training and travel the country and it wasn’t as romantic as I had imagined!
The point is that the graces of His Spirit and his comfort can satisfy the thirsting soul. There was standing in front of her the biggest bucket of all time and she didn’t even know it.
Jesus is so patient with all of us. We answer back to his fullness with a blunt-
“Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.” Just as she looked at him with her natural eyes so we too look at all our circumstances and our needs in the natural, after all He wasn’t carrying His bucket and couldn’t possibly draw water.
I’ve seen it over and over again in a person’s life and in my life. We simply can’t believe that He truly can satisfy this thirst. I find the thirst of this world only gives me a transient satisfaction and supply. It might quench my present thirst, but the thirst will return.
“John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
John 4:14 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.”
I thank God, Jesus takes the time for all of us just like He took the time for this thirsting soul. He walked her down her past life and told her how she no longer needed to carry that big ol’ bucket anymore. In fact, the more He talked I can imagine she begin to fill so very full, an unbelievably satisfying feeling took over her. I have felt that feeling and still feel it. I love this part of the story in John; she forgot the very errand that brought her to the well. I think she found her very last bucket. If we only knew!