The Living Water: Lesson Sixteen

"And I heard, as it were,

the voice of a great multitude,

as the sound of many waters

and as the sound of mighty thunderings,

saying, 'Alleluia!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!'"

Revelation 19:6

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Hello ladies, let's start with prayer........

"To our Lord God Omnipotent, I come here this morning to praise Your holy name. Thank You, Lord, for Your holiness and providence. You give us comfort in that we can know You are in control of all things that happen to us.

I pray that You will forgive me of my sins and wash me clean. Forgive me of the hidden sins of my heart and the sins I do openly.

I pray that as each lady reads this lesson here today, she will learn something new about You in Your word. I pray that she will be healed and renewed. I pray that her burden will be lifted as she reads about You, her savior.

in Jesus' name.........amen."

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John 4: 22-

"You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews."

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"You worship what you do not know....."

Jesus confronted the Samaritan woman about her sin, then she quickly changed the subject to theology. Instead of chastening her further, Jesus engages in the talk about theology.

We have been reading here lately about proper worship and what it means. In the last verse, we looked at how the Samaritans worshiped incorrectly the God of the Hebrews...like many people claiming to be Christians today.....and Jesus hinted at how the time of the temple worship would soon come to an end.

Now He bluntly informs her that the way of the Samaritans is futile: they do not even know God.

Please read:

2 Kings 17:27-35

Jesus informs her that the worship of the Samaritans was not authorized by God and neither was it acceptable by God:

Heb 11:6

Their false ways of worship had been invented by man without the Lord's approval. God had created and approved of the Jewish worship of Him because He had chosen them and given them the complete instructions (or plan) on how to worship Him.

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False Teachers

"These are the wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." 2 Pet 2:17

Wells without water...constrast that with what Jesus says in John 4:13-14

The Lord lovingly places verses in His word to warn us about false teachers who will come from within the church and lead us astray with their false gospel messages:

Matt 7: 15-20

Matt 24:23-25

The messages of these false teachers, or prophets, will cause divisions among believers:

Rom 16:17

Eph 4:11-14

1 Tim 1:3-4

1 Tim 6:3-5

The Lord's warning: "beware" is a strong warning indeed. That is why we are to stay in God's word...to know it inside and out like we know our own hands, bodies, voices. That way, if a teacher does stand and preach another gospel, our ears will hear it and know that it is not of God.

I read a book by Joe Dallas who was once in a homosexual relationship after he left his wife. He and his gay friends attended a community church in the Los Angeles area where homosexuals were welcomed. While listening to the pastor preach, Joe Dallas recognized that the pastor was twisting the words of Paul in the book of Romans in order to justify homosexuality. Even in his sinful state, he knew that what the Pastor was doing was wrong: you don't mess around with scripture!

He eventually left the homosexual lifestyle and surrendered to Christ. Now he speaks out about the sin of homosexuality and about the saving grace of Jesus. I recommend his book: A Strong Delusion.

I found it amazing how the Holy Spirit opened Joe Dallas' ears to the abuses of God's Word even when this man was deep in sexual sin. But the Lord's sheep hear His voice........

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"We know what we worship...."

As Christians, we must know the "sound doctrine" that is, the gospel, if we are to teach it and preach it and take it to the nations.

So, I ask, what do we worship?

Please read:

2 Pet 1:16

1 John 1:1-4

The apostles were eyewitnesses to what they worship. They handled the Lord Jesus and heard Him speak as well as saw Him with their own eyes.

But what about us? Do we know what we worship that intimately?

1 John 5:13

That is why the Bible was given to us....that we may know.

1 Tim 1:8

That we may know the law is good....

The sound doctrine of Jesus:

John 7:16-17

It is from God.

Peter spoke the doctrine of God:

Acts 2:14-21

He knew it intimately. You can read the maturity in Christ in Peter's voice in this passage. He had the Holy Spirit.

What is the gospel that we are to teach and know intimately?

Acts 2:32-33-This Jesus.

Acts 2:38-39- Repent!

Acts 4:1-4- Jesus the resurrected from the dead.

Acts 4:8-12- The name of Jesus.

This is the sound doctrine we are to know:

Rom 7:17-18

1 Tim 1:9-11- The glorious gospel of God.

Titus 2:9-10- being faithful so we may adorn the doctrine of our God and Savior. Remember the story I wrote about the missionary who wore the "cloak of Christ well"? We are to adorn ourselves with the doctrine of God.

So, what is this doctrine that we are to know?

Titus 2:11-14

• deny ungoldiness and wordly lusts



• live soberly



• live righteously



• live godly in this present age



• look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus-our great God and Savior



• who gave Himself up for us



• that He might redeem us from every lawless deed



• that He might purify for Himself His own special people (Ez. 34:11)



• who are zealous for good works.

This is the gospel...this is the doctrine we should know as Christians. This is what we worship. We do not worship the Bible, but the One whom the Bible reveals.

Paul commands us to "speak these things!" Exhort, rebuke with all authority:

Titus 2:15

Peter commands us to "do these things" so we will never stumble:

2 Pet 1:10-11

Yes, we worship what we know.......

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"....salvation is from the Jews."

The Jewish people are among the most hated people on earth. They are hated because they were chosen by our God and Creator. They were separated unto Him from among the nations. They were marked.

It was through the Jewish nation that the Messiah was given: Jesus was born to a Jewish mother.

The Lord Jesus here reveals to the Samaritan woman that salvation comes from the Jews because they were appointed by God to receive His message and to be His messangers. The Scriptures and the Law were given to them:

Please read:

Ex 28:15-30- the Breastplate was given by God as a way for the priest to make intercession for the Lord's people. He gave them a way to meet with Him and be forgiven.

Is 2:3

Luke 24:46-47

Rom 1:16

Rom 3:1-2

Rom 9:3-5

Rom 11:1-4

So then why is Jesus talking to a Gentile woman?

Rom 11:11-12

To provoke God's people to jealousy, the Lord made us Gentiles part of His family. Why does God want to provoke His people?

Rom 11:7-10

Because they rejected the Cornerstone...their Messiah, their Christ....and they still reject Him today.

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Life Application

Today was a longer lesson because there was so much in this one verse to study, but that is what I love about God's word. It is so rich and full of...Him!

But how do we apply what we have just learned? Well, we are to be wise to what false teachings are out there. We are to make sure we know what we worship: the Gospel of God and sound doctrine.

We are also to know that God's chosen people now includes us: Gentiles. In His mercy and grace, He predestined us to His glory.

Please read:

Matt 7:13

But the way is not broad. The broad way leads to destruction. Narrow is the way that leads to life. Passing through the narrow gate will be difficult. And few will find it.

Stop here to praise God that you were chosen....that He showed you the narrow way and that He lead you to find it.

Praise God indeed.

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Until next time..........

"This righteousness of Christ imputed to men is that tree of life (Revelation 22:2) which bore various manners of fruit, and that every month, and whose leaves were for the healing of the nation. This tree of life is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by His merit and Spirit, converts heathens into saints, and makes saints bring forth the saving fruits of righteousness. Philippians 1:11: 'Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, which are unto the glory and praise of God.' The woman who is joined to a man is one flesh, and the man who is joined to Christ is one spirit. The same mind is in him which was in Christ Jesus, and he is, in his desire and endeavor, the same manner of life, which is for obedience to the will of God."

-Obadiah Grew (1607-1689) (The Lord Our Righteousness, 1669, p. 100)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

Friday-

What a joke! I tried running this morning going north & south along Central ave. but it was so hot I quit after 2 1/2 miles! I set out to run four miles, but even in the shade it was too hot and humid.

It said on the radio it was only 92 degrees, but it felt like over 100. Yuck!!

I am so sick of running in the heat. I hope tomorrow morning it will be a bit cooler.

Bought new shoes yesterday. They felt really good...cushiony! No knee pain and my ankles feel good.

The Living Water: Lesson Fifteen

"I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven,

having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on earth-

to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people-

saying with a loud voice,

'Fear God and give glory to Him,

for the hour of His judgment has come;

And worship Him who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and springs of water.'"

Revelation 14: 6-7

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Good day, ladies, let's start with prayer.......

"Father, as we study today about proper worship and about how You changed worship forever, I want to thank You for giving us Your word to show us the way to You. I praise You for hearing the prayers of Your children. Thank You for being our Good Shepherd and leading us to your waters of rest. You alone are worthy of any worship and praise.

I come today and ask for forgiveness of my sins. I know I worship many things besides You, Lord, and that is sin. Please empty me of my sins and cleanse me this day with Your blood and Your word.

I pray for each lady here this day. I pray that You will cleanse her through Your word. Please empower her and encourage her today whatever her needs are. I pray for her marriage and her children and her home; that she will be a beacon of light in her home.

In Jesus' name...........amen."

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The time when all the earth will openly worship the Lord is coming soon. You can feel it in the air: a disdain for Christians is growing.

CNN recently aired a special about how Christianity is affecting politics throughout the world. In the special, the narrator compares Christianity to radical Islamism.... the same Islamism that caused Sept. 11th.

It is coming....do not be fooled. Soon we Christians will find it hard to do commerce, to live in this country, to worship openly. Things we take for granted will be taken away.

I used to tell the inmates in prison that they should all have Bibles and read them daily. They should read them as though the guards would come and take them away at any moment. The women inmates had a tendencey to take it for granted that they could have Bibles while in custody. But we all know that if the ACLU had their way, there would be no religion behind bars at all. But since Muslims would probably speak out against such nonsense, the ACLU hasn't sued to remove religion from prisons......yet. That time is coming.

Please read:

Rev 13:16-18

During the tribulation, Christians will not be able to buy food or water unless they have the mark, or number, of the beast. Ever wonder why we depend on bottled water to the point where we prefer to purchase it rather than drink out of the tap?? Providence of God.

Ever wonder why debit cards were invented? I think one day the actual "card" will be replaced with an oh, so, convenient number placed on our body so that we won't have to worry about a pesty card to carry. Just pass your hand or arm under the scanner......and off you go!

The time is coming when all the earth will see the wrath of God and know the true purpose of evil: to bring us to God where all will worship Him for who He is.

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John 4: 21

"Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father."

Please read:

Malachi 1:11

Malachi was written at a time when God's people were disillusioned and discouraged because their experience did not go along with what they thought would be the Messianic Age found in the writings of the earlier prophets. They began to doubt their faith in God because they were in poverty, drought, and economic adversity. It is perfect how this book ends the Old Testament age when God spoke through prophets.....soon He would speak to His disillusioned people face to face. (New Geneva Study Bible, 1995, commentary)

Ps 50:1-6

Is 45:6-7

Is 59:19

In the Old Testament, God appointed Jerusalem to be the place to offer up worship to Him. The temple was the dwelling place of God and devout Jews came to Jerusalem from all over to worship Him.

Jesus is hinting to the Samaritan woman that the time of the temple worship is about to come to an end. For He, alone, will render the veil in two and end the temple age of worship forever by being that perfect atonement sacrifice for our sins.

Matt 27:51

Heb 9: 1-5

Heb 9:11-15

Heb 9:24-26

Heb 6:19

Heb 10:19-20

"...Woman, believe Me..."

Jesus will reveal Himself to the woman at the well through the Holy Spirit- the Living Water- which will open her eyes.

2 Cor 4:3

But some will remain blinded. The Spirit does not open the eyes of all who come into contact with Jesus.

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John 10:24-26

They heard the words of Jesus, yet the veil remained over their eyes. They did not believe His words nor His works.

2 Cor 3:14

Merely believing in Jesus is not enough:

James 2:9

Will the demons be redeemed? Will they have eternal life? No.....

We must also believe on Him:

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1 Tim 1:16

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We must believe His words...God's word.

John 6:68-69

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Heb 11:6

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God rewards those who diligently seek Him.

Acts 8:26-40

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The Spirit moves those who are diligently seeking....and rewards them.

Praise the Lord that your eyes are open and the veil removed so that you can read God's word and see Christ in every passage.

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Life Application

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"Fear God and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment has come....."

As Christians, we are always to remember that we are here as aliens....visitors only for a short time. Our citizenship is in heaven:

Heb 11:15-16

Our city is bring prepared for us. Therefore, we must live our lives here as though we will be taken home at any minute....taken home to face the judgment. But we have our Advocate:

1 John 2:1

He will defend us.

But for now, we are called to worship Him and adore Him because He is worthy.

Ps 10:16

Ps 28:8

Ps 29:10

Ps 35:1-3

Take a moment today to stop and thank the Lord for opening your eyes to who He is. Thank Him for making you one of His flock:

John 10:1-5

John 10:27-30

The woman at the well is speaking to her King....yet she does not know it yet. Soon we will see how the Lord will speak...and she will know His voice.

Priase God that you know His voice...follow Him.

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Until next time......

"In a marriage union, the wife is honorable by her husband's honor; her debts become his and his estate and qualities hers. Thus it comes to pass by our union of espousals to Christ ('My Beloved is mine and I am His') that we have an interest and propriety in His merit and Spirit, in His righteousness and life. By the former espousals, that is, of our natures, He took our sins upon Him; by these espousals of our persons, we take His righteousness upon us. By marriage to Him, 'All are yours, and you are Christ's' (1 Corinthians 3:22). So that Christ is to us not only a Head of eminence, as He is to the angles, but a Head of influlence and communication, as the bridegroom is the bride. It is by this union of espousals that we are His love and His undefiled. And here is the reason why the Father loves believers as He does Christ: 'That the love where with thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them' (John 17: 26).

-Obadiah Grew (1607-1689)

(The Lord Our Righteousness, 1669, p. 45-46)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

Thursday-

Decided it was too hot to run 4 miles this morning, so I went up Shaw Buite instead. It was 95 but the breeze helped. The sun was brutal!

Am going to look at some new running shoes today. Woke up with bad achilles tendon pain in both feet, so I think it is because my shoes are worn down.

Had no knee pain, though. That's good!

The Living Water: Lesson Fourteen

"The LORD reigns,

He is clothed with majesty;

He has girded Himself with strength.

Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved;

Your throne is established from of old;

You are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,

The floods have lifted up their voice;

The floods lift up their waves.

The LORD on high is mightier

Than the noise of many waters,

Than the mighty waves of the sea.

Your testimonies are very sure;

Holiness adorns Your house,

O LORD, forever."

Psalm 93

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Good day, let's begin with prayer.......

"Dear LORD, I want to praise You for teaching us how to worship you properly in Your word, Lord. You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration. You alone are holy above all. Mighty is Your name above all the earth.

.

Because You are holy, I am destroyed before You, Lord. I pray that You will forgive me for worshiping myself and other things above You. I know that this is sin. Please wash me clean and fil me with Your Holy Spirit this day. Teach me how to worship You.

I pray for each lady here this day. I pray that You will teach her how to worship You properly. Speak to her heart and show her more about You in today's lesson, Lord. May the Holy Spirit convict her of sin and bring her to Your word for cleansing. For You desire her obedience far more than her sacrifice.

In Jesus' name..........amen.

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Mount Gerzim

Mount Gerzim stands at 2,800 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Shechem in central Israel was divided by two mountains: Gerzim and Ebal. Today, Shechem is modern day Jebel-et-Tor and Ebal is Jebel Eslamiyeh.

When the Israelites conquered central Israel, Joshua carried out the orders given by Moses and placed half the tribes on Mount Gerzim and pronounced a blessing. (Deut. 27:12). The other half he placed on Mt. Ebal and pronounced curses (Deut. 11:29 & Josh. 8:30-35). Joshua built an altar on Ebal.

After the Assyrians captured the Northern Kingdom, the mixed race of people began to worship the pagan gods mixed with the worship of Yaweh (2 Kings 17:33).

The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that Alexander the Great gave permission to the Samaritans to build their temple on Mt. Gerzim.

A small Samaritan community worships there to this day, just as they did in Jesus' lifetime when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. (Trent C. Butler, Holman Bible Dictionary, 1991)

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John 4:20

"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."

After the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 721 B.C., the Jews in Jerusalem and the Israelites living in Samaria split over theology. The Samaritans were mixing their pagan religion with the Laws of the Hebrew God. The temple that they built was destroyed in 130 B.C. but they continued to worship there.

This is the mountain that the Samaritan woman speaks of in this verse.

Having realized that the man she is speaking to is not ordinary, she is convicted of her sin of adultery and fornication......yet she chooses to change the subject to theology and proper worship.

Why??

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"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain......"

Take some time to think about the worship of God in your family when you were a child. Did it happen at all? Were you raised to worship God in any capacity? Do you worship this way still?

I was raised by two Roman Catholics until I was 7 yrs. old. The old ways of worship are hard for my parents to abandon. Sometimes the old ways of worship and theology come through. My mother tends to think of church as a means to salvation....just like the old days of her catholic upbringing. My father tends to lean on "good works" or deeds to make amends for his sins.

Even though my parents left the Catholic church and were saved and baptized into the Protestant teachings, they still find it hard to abandon the old teachings.

Since I was saved at age 7 and raised as a Protestant Christian, I have no old teachings to lean on....but sometimes the old life of sin I entered into when I was 18 still rears its ugly head.

Even though I lived in sin for those 2 1/2 yrs., I still attended church services because I wanted to be with other believers and I still wanted to be near God.

Please read:

Gen 4:1-7

After The Fall of Adam and Eve, the Lord blessed them with 2 sons. Even though Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden and even though they were forced to witness the results of their sin on Creation around them.....they still taught their sons to honor the Lord with sacrifices.

Imagine that! After all they had been through, they did not shake their fists at the Lord and curse Him nor did they turn their backs on Him and deny His existence. Instead, they chose to honor the Lord by teaching their children to worship Him.

Gen 8: 20-22

Noah was honorable in the sight of the Lord. After all he went through with the building of the ark (for one hundred years....) and being hidden in the ark with his family while the earth was destroyed around them, he still honored the Lord and taught his children to worship Him.

Gen 12:7

Abraham worshiped the Lord.

Gen 26:25

Isaac worshiped the Lord.

Gen. 35:1-2

The Patriarchs of the Bible left us a legacy of worship: strong Family Worship and its importance.

Puritan author James Alexander wrote of family worship:

"No man can approach the duty of leading his household in an act of devotion without solemn reflection on the place which he occupies in regard to them. He is their head. He is such by a divine and unalterable constitution. These duties and prerogatives which he cannot alientate. There is something more than mere precedence in age, knowledge, or substance. He is the father and the master. No act of his, and nothing in his character, can fail to leave a mark on those around him. This he will be apt to feel when he calls them about him to pray to God; and the more devoutly he addresses himself to the work, the more will he feel it" (Thoughts on Family Worship, 1847, p. 24).

Your husband is the head of your family whether he is a believer or not. If he is a believer, then praise God because submitting to him will be all the easier. After reading the preceeding paragraph, you can see why it is so important for us wives to lift our husbands up in prayer daily. They are the Spiritual Leaders of our homes. They are our Pastors. Pray for them.

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Life Application

"...you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."

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Proper worship of the Lord is a foundation to our walk with Christ. We will soon read about how Jesus wanted the Samaritan woman to know that worship is more than just a place. Those of us who have Christ in our hearts already have the "place" to worship. If God looks upon us at all it is because He sees Christ in us.

Please read:

Eph 2:14-18

Improper worship of the Lord was a serious subject in the writings of Paul and the times of

Jesus.

Matt 15:1-9

Rom 1:18-24

Acts 17:22-31

Eph 4:17-19

But the Lord came that we may know how to worship Him:

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John 17:1-5

Here the Lord Jesus glorifies God with His obedience.

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John 17: 24-26

Here Jesus lifts up a prayer for all believers and gives us examples of how to pray.

We can know how to honor the Lord by reading scripture and praying scripture to the Lord because His words are perfect:

Ps 5:7

Ps 29:2

Ps 45:11

Ps 89:8-10

Ps 95:6

Ps 96

These are just some verses in the Bible that clearly show us how to venerate and honor the Lord with our voices. Find a quiet place at a quiet time of the day (for me it usually is when everyone goes to sleep and I am alone....) and read these verses to the Lord.....worship Him where He

may be found.

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Until next time..........

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"..He is first well-pleased with us in Christ, as we are found in Him and His righteousness; and then He is pleased with the righteousness that is in us. The Lord first has respect to the person, and then to his works, as we see in Abel's case in Genesis 4. So that though the inherent righteousness of the saints pleases God, yet it does not justify them before God; this is done by a more perfect righteousness, not in us, but upon us. Indeed, as to the point of justification, our inherent righteousness must be denied and rejected as well as our sins. 'All our righteousnesses are as filfthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6), and this holy Paul knew well, when he sought to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness."

-Obadiah Grew (1607-1689)

(The Lord Our Righteousness, 1669, p. 25)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

Wednesday-

Had to substitute teach today. Kindergarten. That says it all.

Couldn't run in the morning, so I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at 5.8 pace. Hopefully, will run 4 miles tomorrow morning if it isn't too hot.......

Decided I need new shoes already. Bought these ones in June and they are already lose in the ankles. Probably why I have had knee pain recently. So, I will buy a new pair and that should help with the knee pain.

The Living Water-Lesson Thirteen

"The poor and needy seek water,

but there is none,

Their tongues fail for thirst.

I, the LORD, will hear them;

I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in desolate heights,

And fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

And the dry land springs of water."

Isaiah 41:17-18

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Hello again! Let's pray..........

"Father, today we will read about who You are in Your word. We will look at what You have done for us. Lord, I pray today that You will reveal more to us in this study about who You are for knowing You is the greatest good for us, Your people.

I seek forgiveness of my sins which are against You and only You. Please wash me with Your word and cleanse me so that I may hear from You today.

I lift up each woman reading this study to You, Father. I pray for her walk with You that she will seek You early in the day and stay close to You. I pray she will see You are her shepherd and her advocate to plead her cause before an ungodly nation. I pray for her to see more of You in her children and in her marriage and in her home.

In Jesus' name............amen."

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How do you see Jesus?

Please read:

Matt 16:13-17

Why did the Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus?

John 5: 18

John 5:45

Because Jesus equated Himself to God.

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John 4:19:

"The woman said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet."

After being confronted with her sin by this weary Jewish traveler sitting by the well, she begins to realize that there is something different in Him. She begins to see things she hadn't seen before.....

Jesus' knowledge of the Samaritan woman's life parallels His knowledge of Nathaneal:

John 1:48-51

Jesus is about to open her eyes.......

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"Sir, I perceive....."

How we perceive Jesus is very important in our walk with God. To think of him as merely a prophet or a man would be incorrect. He is so much more.

But only God can illumine us:

Please read:

Gen 3:5

When Adam and Eve sinned, their eyes were opened in that they were given a conscience to know right from wrong now. Eve began to rely on what her eyes saw. Moral relativism was born.

Gen 3:6-

"The woman saw..."

Women are more easily deceived by our eyes.

1 Tim 2:14

1 John 2:16

Because we were made from flesh, we are more emotionally attached to things.

But when we set our eyes on the Lord, we see truth:

Ps 25:13-15

Ps 121:1-8

Prov 4:23-25

Prov 23:4-5

Matt 13:10-17

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John 8:31-32

Our duty as disciples is to make sure we rely on the truth of scripture rather than on what we perceive to be true....

The Samaritan woman was amazed at what Jesus knew about her. He could tell her all that she ever did in her life.

But her perceptions of Him as a prophet were way off:

A few lessons ago we explored the names of God. Now let's explore the names of Jesus in God's Word. Who do you say Jesus is?

Have your Bible near by because you are going to look up a lot of scripture today!

Matt 21:11

Matt 16:14

Matt 14:2

John 6:14

Gen 49:10-11

When we share the gospel truth, we must know the truth. As I always say, you cannot teach what you do not know.

Who is this Jesus whom you serve? Fill in the names of Jesus mentioned in the verses below:

Rev 1:5- The Truth

John 1:14- The Word

John 1:29- The Lamb of God

John 10:9-

John 10:11

John 11:25-

John 14:6-

John 15:1

John 18:37-The King

1 Pet 2:25-

1 Tim 6:15

Eph 5:23

Matt 8:19

Heb 6:20

Song of Sol 2:1

Dan 9:25- Messiah

Mark 1:24

Eph 1:6

Ez 34:11-12

John 8:12

Col 1:15

John 4:42-Savior of the World

Heb 12:2

Rev 1:8

Is 9:6

Gen 49:10

Rev 5:5

John 8:58-I AM

1 Tim 6:15

Matt 9:15

John 3:16

Luke 1:78

Matt 20:28

1 John 2:1

Rev 3:14

Mark 15:26

Job 19:25

Heb 6:19

Rev 22:16

Acts 10:42

John 6:35

John 4:10

John 20:27-29

King of Kings, Bridegroom, Dayspring, Advocate, King of the Jews, Bright and Morning Star, Living Water, Savior, High Priest, Master, Author and Finisher of Our Faith, Shiloh, Rose of Sharon.........God.

These are just some of the names of our Lord Jesus. Praise God that He opened your eyes to reveal who He is in scripture.

Read them over again. Mark them in your Bible....make a list and keep it nearby.

This is the Lord Jesus Christ whom you serve. He, the God of Israel, will not forsake you.

Praise all His mighty names!!

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Until next time...........

"The balanced view of God from scripture is that our heavenly Father is just, righteous, and absolute, and at the same time, He is loving, generous, and available. His desire is to have warm and intimate fellowship with His children and to bless us (which is possible when we live in accordance with His laws and commandments).

Your response in adversity will reveal to you your opinion of God. Take note of your feelings and thoughts when adversity comes your way. Your understanding of the Lord and the relationship He desires to have with you may be an area on which you need to grow."

-Charles Stanely

(Advancing Through Adversity, 1996, p. 59)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

Monday-

Decided to do weights and a mile on the treadmill since I ran hard over the weekend.

Tomorrow will be my rest day and I sub on Wednesday....so I will have to run in the evening on the treadmill tomorrow night. It is supposed to be 111 tomorrow.....yuck.

The Living Water- Lesson Twelve

"Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

And princes will rule with justice.

A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,

And a cover from the tempest,

As rivers of water in a dry place,

As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

Isaiah 32:1-2

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Good day! Let's begin our time with prayer........

Heavenly Father, I praise Your holy name because You are that rock that we can stand on. You are the rivers of water in a dry place. You are that hiding place where we are safe from the winds. Thank You for being that King of Righteousness.

I come before You now to seek forgiveness of my sins. Forgive my selfishness and self righteousness. I pray that You will seek out the hidden sins within me and purge me of my iniquities. Please renew me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day.

I pray for each lady here reading this study. I pray for her heart to be softened by the reading of Your word. I pray You will speak new and wonderful things to her heart this day. Encourage her, bless her with every spiritual blessing, renew her, and give her wings like eagles.

In Jesus' name......amen."

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The Messiah

The passage in Isaiah printed above is about the Messiah to be revealed. Here in our study, we are reading about how the Lord is preparing the Samaritan woman for His revelation.

By awakening her conscience to her sinfullness, Jesus is readying her soul to receive His wonderful grace as He prepared your soul as well.

Please read:

Rom 10:17

How does faith come?

Rom 10: 20-21

Did she seek the Lord or did He seek her out?

And why did He go to a Gentile woman?

Rom 10:19

John 10: 15-16

He is the Good Shepherd:

Ez 34: 11

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John 4:17-18

"The woman answered, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.''

Jesus' words must have cut her deeply. That is how the conviction of sin works: it awakens our conscience to our depraved state, then it prepares our hearts to receive the grace of the Lord...finally, the soul is made weary and heavy laden to receive the new yoke. The yoke of Christ is easy (Matthew Henry commentary, 1960).

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, will then lead her to the rest of His yoke...of His pastures of tender grass....of His waters of rest.

"I have no husband....."

This admition of the woman was humiliating to her as women in the 1st century were to be married. If they had no husband, it was because they were too young to marry or widowed. For her to be of this age and without a husband could have caused her to draw water from the well at such an odd hour of the day. She would be perceived as a harlot.

Spiritually, she was without a husband as well.

Ez 16: 31-34

Like the Lord's people who lived before her, she was in adultery.

Ez 16:51

Yet the Lord is about to show her His grace.

"For you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband...."

Ouch!

Heb 4:12-13

The word of God cuts deeply.

2 Tim 3:16

But the words of Jesus are profitable to this woman. Her reproof is for her own good. Yet Jesus spoke to her mildly in His reproof.

Rev 3:19

He is calling her to repentance.

But he praises her for telling her the truth. She could have lied, but because her conscience is being prepared....she is drawn to tell the truth to this stranger who speaks of the Living Water.

Jesus came to her with the gift of Liberty that is in Him (Chambers, My Utmost for His Glory, 1935, May 6) because He knows that is the best thing for her: His Liberty.

Gal 5:1

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Life Application

Think back to the time when the Lord first spoke to you. What stage of life were you? Were you a child, as I was, or were you a young adult? With what sins did Jesus confront you?

How did He prepare you to receive His grace? Was it a pastor's sermon or a youth group activity that began to draw you to Him?

The Samaritan woman heard Jesus' words because they were written on her heart:

Please read:

Romans 2:12-16

She knew some things of the Hebrew God to the point of fearing Him, but not to the point of giving up her sinful ways. She knew enough about the Lord to venerate Jacob and what he did for God's people, yet she did not know enough to worship the God of Jacob.

She was being drawn to the Living Water for many years before she met Jesus at the well.

Is 65:1

Rom 9:30

When we witness to the lost, we must take all this into account. Our hearts must remember that their salvation has nothing to do with us or with the words we say.....but it has everything to do with the Lord and how He uses every opportunity to prepare sinners to receive His grace.

If you were "introduced" to Christ by someone or through a sermon, you must remember that it was many years before that moment that the Lord was seeking you out because you would never seek Him out. He knew that.

Ez 34:12

As we will soon read, Jesus reconciled the Samaritan woman to Himself just as He did to you:

Col 1:19-20

It pleased God to see His son suffer and die then conquer death once and for all so He would be reconciled to His sheep once again.

Because of our sins, the Lord had to die:

Jer 2:13

Like the Samaritan woman, we had forsaken the fountains of Living Water to make for ourselves our own wells of water. But we are broken earthen vessels that hold no water.

So Jesus not only became the perfect earthen vessel, but He also became that fountain of Living Water springing up into everlasting life:

John 4:13-14

If you are a believer and have that fountain of Living Water flowing up and out of you unto everlasting life, then you have been led to those waters of rest:

Heb 4:1-3

Heb 3:8-10

Now our works are transferred to Christ who has completed every good work. He is finished.

Rev 14:13

Now that we have that rest, we must remain in it:

Heb 4:11

So we do not fall back into disobedience.

Praise God indeed, for He is good and His mercies endure forever...........

Lam 3:22-23

Lam 3:32

Ps 89:1

Amen!

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Until next time.........

"The Lord will not share His glory with anyone. When we seek to take the glory for ourselves- saying, in effect, "Look at what I have accomplished! Look at me! Look at who I am!"- we deny that anything we accomplish comes about because God both enables and empowers us to accomplish it. Any good in us is by His design and redemption. Anything noteworthy that we become, we become because He wills it so. We have no goodness apart from God's goodness imparted to us."

-Charles Stanley

(Advancing Through Adversity, 1996, p. 44)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

Sunday-

Woke up Saturday to cloudy skies and cool air. It was great! So I ran 5 miles in 50 minutes. Some knee pain at the start, but then I felt great. It was a pleasure to run in such cool air. The streets were quiet at that hour (8am) so it was a nice run.

Today I ran up Shaw Buite for hills and endurance. My cardio felt strong and so did my legs. I know that when I can run up Shaw Buite without any pain or if my lungs do not feel like they are about to explode, then I am ready to run a 10k (6.2 miles). So, I will increase my long runs to 5.5 miles this week and see how it goes.

Running the Good Race

Friday-

Ran 3 miles this morning in 30 minutes. A little knee pain at first, but then all was well. Found a place to run where there was shade for 1/2 mile. That helped!!! It was 91 degrees, but the humidity was high. It was hard to get a full deep breath the air was so thick.

Suppose to be rainy and cloudy tomorrow which means it will be rainy and cloudy on Sunday....but at least next week it is suppose to be in the low 100's. That should help me out a lot since I am stuck to running in the mornings after taking Nathan to school.

Will do my long run (5 miles) tomorrow morning since we are going out in the evening.

Fall is coming.........in North Carolina. It will be in the 80's in Charlotte at the end of next week.

Sigh.

Running the Good Race

Decided to make today my rest day since I had to work tonight and it was way too hot to run this morning. Yuck.

I have to sub a half day tomorrow, so I will either run in the morning or after sunset. Sigh...I am soooooooo sick of this heat. What a treat it will be to run in cool air again.

The Living Water: Lesson Eleven

"What is man, that he could be pure?

And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

If God puts no trust in His saints,

And the heavens are not pure in His sight,

How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,

Who drinks iniquity like water!"

-Job 15:14-16

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Good day, ladies...let's seek the Lord:

"Father, today we will study the conviction of sin and why it is there. Lord, I thank You for the conviction of my sins because I know that You are watching me and correcting my path.

I do seek Your forgiveness because I know You will not hear me with sin in my heart. I pray for Your cleansing this day that I may be able to obey You and hear from You. Wash me, purge me, cleanse me, restore me today, Lord, as only You can.

I pray for each lady reading this study today, Lord, as she will be convicted of her sins as well. Please go to her and help her to confess, repent, and obey Your word this day. I pray that You will comfort her and hear her prayers. Be an encouragement to her as she reads Your word today.

In Jesus' name..........amen."

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Laborers for the Harvest

"...who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water."

Many of us would love to serve the Lord in ministries of all sorts because we know that is part of what it means to be a Christian. To go to the prisons, the foreign lands, the hospitals, the churches to serve the Lord is a calling many of us have had or do have now.

But we all know that the Lord calls, we do not call Him. And the Lord's timing and calling is perfect. We must wait on Him and not run ahead and look around to see where He is while we wait for Him.

Last study, we looked at the example the Lord gave us:

Phil 2:5-11

I know that when I was involved in ministry at church, I became proud of the ministries I was involved with because it made me feel good. I needed that "good feeling" almost like a painkiller or opium. It helped me forget the troubles I was having in my marriage and with our financial situation.

I felt as though I was being a "good Christian" because I was serving in children's ministry as a teacher, women's ministry as a helper, and prison ministry as a Bible teacher. Wasn't God pleased with me??

No, because He is more pleased with our obedience than with our sacrifice:

1 Sam 15:22-23

So, He must deal with our sin first before He can use us. He is holy above all and cannot use us with sin in our lives not because He is not capable....but because He is holy and perfect and cannot look upon sin.

After Scott was laid off from Fox, he had trouble finding another good paying full time job. Our financial situation was terrible. We fought all the time and put pressure on each other. The stress began to take its toll on our marriage.

I had sin in my life while I was serving the Lord. I was thinking about divorcing my husband, I had fear and anxiety about our financial situation, I was in sin. I was drinking iniquity "like water." I thought I needed it.

As a married couple, we both were sinning because we were in debt up to our eyeballs and not trusting in the Lord. We were misusing the money that belonged to Him. We were in sin.

So, I had to come to the point of confession before the Lord. But He knew I wouldn't willingly do this on my own......so He had to prepare me and work on me. Sort of like a sculptor who has to remove some of the clay with tools that slice away and carve away the unwanted pieces in order to reveal the work of art, the Lord had to slice away and carve away my unwanted pieces.

To begin with, the Lord removed me from the ministries at church for the church's protection (any one living in habitual sin should not be serving in church ministry....) and for my protection because some of the ministries I was involved in were not properly handled and eventually were dissolved because of wrong doing on the church's part.

It was hard to walk away from those ministries that had been such a significant part of my life, but it was necessary. Then, He led us to get counseling. During those counseling sessions, I had to confess my sins to my husband and to the Lord because thinking about divorce and actually desiring it is a sin. Finally, our financial debt had to be dealt with as well and that meant giving up our home and living in an apartment in order to pay off the debt and learn to save and live without debt again.

All this cleansing and purging was not easy. It was extremely painful. My earthen vessel needed to be struck down. But it was necessary if I ever wanted to be used by the Lord again.....and I did.

The hope of the Lord does not disappoint. I know that now:

Rom 5:1-5

I know now that when the Lord is finished peeling away and carving away those unwanted pieces, He does reveal His wonderful work of art. Now I am serving our church once again, but not for my glory or for that "good feeling" that I had once needed in order to fill my empty life.....now I serve because it is for the Lord's glory. And the feeling is more joyful than merely good.

Please read:

Is 6:1-4

Isaiah was a man of God who had very little sin up to this point. He was serving the Lord as a prophet, but the Lord had greater works in store for him. First, the unwanted pieces had to be dealt with:

Is 6:5-7- "Woe is me for I am undone....." This is translated as "destroyed; cut off." When Isaiah is in the presence of a holy God....he is destroyed.

The purging of his sin was painful, no doubt. But it was a necessary pain. Notice that the seraphim flew to Isaiah, not the other way around. We would never come to the Lord for the purging of sin on our own.....but it is the Lord who comes to us.

Is 6: 8-9

But after the purging, the Lord speaks to Isaiah and calls him to service.

It is comforting to see that the same God who worked in Isaiah's life is the same God who worked in my life and works in yours.

Malachi 3:6

He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

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John 4:16

"Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.'"

Jesus spoke to her.

How wonderful that we have such a personal God who speaks to us. But more important is the fact that we should hear His words:

Please read:

Mark 9:7

God knows how important it is for us to hear His words. We must be quiet to hear Him.

1 Thess 4:11

1 Tim 2:1-2

1Pet 3:4

"...Go, call your husband, and come here."

Ouch. That must have hurt.

Of course, these words of Christ must have convicted the Samaritan woman of sin because she knew the truth. She was drinking that iniquity "like water". Like me, she was convinced that she needed it to live. But we know that Jesus is preparing her for His service....for His Living Water.

Just as He dealt with Isaiah's sin, so must He deal with this woman's sin. As Isaiah was destroyed when he came into the presence of the Lord....so must her earthen vessel be "destroyed; cut off" as well.

1 John 1:9

But we serve a faithful and righteous God.

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Life Application

Like the seraphim who flew to Isaiah, the Lord comes to the woman at the well to deal with her sinful life. She had probably thought her life was ok.....as I did for a time.....but the Lord was about to show her the Greatest life was still ahead for her.

Please read 1 John 1:9 again.

The word, "confess" is from the Greek word "homologeo" which means to assent; agree; promise.

Here we are told that if we "agree" with God that we are in sin and have sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

It is not an easy thing to come before a holy God and confess or agree with Him that we are sinners. We are destroyed; cut off; struck down. I know, it hurts.

Psalm 51

Notice all those verbs and commands: Have mercy.....blot out.....wash me......cleanse me.....purge me....make me....create in me.....restore me......uphold me.....deliver me......

This is an amazing psalm of repentance. You can read the mournful emotions of David as he confesses. He is destroyed before his God. When you have trouble confessing, read this psalm to the Lord. It will change your prayer life forever.

There is alot to praise the Lord for today:

John 3:36

We have been saved from the wrath of God.

Ro 1:18

Take time today to thank the Lord for His conviction of your sins. Praise Him that He is preparing you to be used in His ministries. Praise Him for carving away those unwanted pieces daily. Praise Him for His holiness and for breaking your earthen vessel. Thank Him for the forgiveness of your sins.....and the atonement or price that was paid for your sins: His death on the cross.

Finally, praise Him for conquering death once and for all that you may live.

Come into His presence today.....and be struck down.

2 Cor 4:7-11

Let your earthen vessel be struck down, but not destroyed.

Praise Him indeed.

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Until next time............

"When I get into the presence of God, I do not realize that I am a sinner in an indefinite sense; I realize the concentration of sin in a particular feature of my life. A man will say easily- 'Oh yes, I know I am a sinner'; but when he gets into the presence of God he cannot get off with that statement. The conviction is concentrated on- I am this, or that, ot the others. This is always the sign that a man or woman is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but the concentration of sin in some personal particular. God begins by convicting us of the one thing fixed on in the mind that is prompted bu His Spirit; if we will yield to His conviction on that point, He will lead us down to the great disposition of sin underneath. That is the way God always deals with us when we are consciously in His presence."

-Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest, 1935, July 3)

Blessings,

Ruth

The Living Water: Lesson Ten

"The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters."

Psalm 23:1-2

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Good day! Let's seek the Lord......

"Father, today I thank You for Your rest. I thank You for conquering death once and for all so that I many not have that fear of the unknown. I praise You for being the Good Shepherd and knowing what Your sheep need.

Forgive me of my sins, Lord. I pray that You will cleanse me with Your blood and with Your word. Sanctify me and keep me in Your fold.

I pray for the ladies joining me here today. I pray that You will give them Your rest. I lift them up to You today Lord and pray for their walk with You. Speak to them through Your word, convict them of sin, and I pray that You will restore them with Your Spirit.

In Jesus' name.......amen."

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Waters of Rest

The translation of Psalm 23:1-2 is:

"The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not lack.

He makes me lie down in pastures of tender grass;

He leads me beside the waters of rest."

So many times we get bogged down with work around the house, changing diapers, chasing the kids, preparing meals, cleaning the bathroom, folding laundry, helping with homework, etc. etc. that we tend to forget to rest.

When I was in school, my father would scowl whenever I mentioned how hard the school work was and how tired I was when I got home. To him, school was NOT work! He graduated high school and that was enough school for him. My father has worked very hard all his life. He drove a truck 5 days a week from 2 in the morning until about 2 in the afternoon. THEN he went to work as a janitor at night. My mother worked fulltime as well as helped with the janitor business at night in addition to cooking and cleaning the house.

My parents know hard work! But one thing they do not know is that school work can also be hard in a different way than physical labor. Work is hard and it is tiring.

The Jews in the Lord's days on earth were very tired. They knew work, too. Not only were they working hard, but they were also tired from trying to obey all the laws of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These "men of God" were adding to God's laws in order to keep the people oppressed and themselves exalted.

Please read:

Matt 3:7-10

Matt 16:1-4

Matt 19:3-10

Matt 23:1-36

Jesus saw what these scribes, and teachers of the Law were doing to His people.

Matt 11:25-30

His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Praise God. What wonderful words these must have been to His people. They had the bondage of the Romans and the bondage of the Law to live under daily. No wonder many were giving up on both and turning to their own ways.

Gal 5:1

Acts 15:8-10

Praise God for His waters of rest!

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John 4:15

"The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.'"

Some commentaries suggest that she is responding sarcastically, but others say she was sincere.

I feel she was sincere because she was tired. Tired of searching for the "right" man who would love her. Tired of having to draw water day in and day out. Tired of having to come to the well in the heat of the day instead of when evening fell in order to avoid the eyes of the other women.

Relief from labor is a good thing. Perhaps she is speaking as a woman who wants relief from the labor of searching for something to quench her thirst.

How many of you have ever watched the small sparrows outside during the summer? These little birds are constantly searching for food and water almost 24 hours a day. Yet the Lord takes care of them.

Matt 10:31

Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman of relief from Spiritual bondage.

Matt. 11:25-- He speaks to the weary, not the rich and wise of the land.

11:28-- He speaks to those around Him because He sees them and what they are going through.

11:29-- Jesus' words assure us that He is here to give and not take from those around him. What a blessing that is to those who work: ease, light burden.

We are not completely "free" to do as we want. Before we have redemption, we are in debt. We have a debt we cannot possibly pay!

I know what it is like to be in debt. It is a horrible feeling knowing that you cannot possibly pay off the debt. We had to sell our house in order to finally be debt free. It was humiliating to be at the service of the credit card company. We were one payment away from losing everything.

Before we have forgiveness of sins, we are in debt to God. This debt we cannot pay and it keeps us in bondage to Satan, the world, and our flesh.

Rom 6:16

We are slaves to somebody: "either sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness."

Rom 6:18- become a slave of righteousness and live!

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Life Application

"...that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Yes, the Samaritan woman was tired of thirsting and drawing water. Wouldn't you be? We take modern conveniences for granted, don't we? Imagine having to draw water daily for drinking and bathing. We complain when we turn the knob and the water doesn't come out HOT enough for us!

Jesus knows that the yoke of Satan is hard and burdensome. These burdens we have here in the world take away from us.

But the yoke of Jesus is easy and gives us rest. His commandments are not burdensome:

1 John 5:3

The example Jesus gives us in scripture is one we should follow:

Phil 2:5-11

Psalm 37:7-11

Watching the weary and heavy burdened people around Him, we know Jesus had mercy and a sorrow filled heart. He was God in the flesh, afterall. The last time He walked on the earth He was in the Garden of Eden when all was perfection. He had seen Adam and Eve in all their beauy and glory. Their bodies knew no sin! Creation knew no sin.

Now He was walking in the desert lands and seeing what the sins of the people had done to His creation.

In Matthew chapter nine, we see Jesus come face to face with the people affected most by the sins of the world:

Matt 9:1-8 He heals the paralytic

Matt 9: 9-13 He forgives the tax collector and likens Himself to a physician

Matt 9: 18-26 - He heals the bleeding woman and raises a little girl from the dead

Matt 9: 27-31 He gives sight to the blind

Matt 9:32- 34- And rescues a mute from the demons

Matt 9: 35- 37 And many more came to Him......

Imagine Jesus standing there....looking out over the dry desrt lands as the multitudes came to Him: some limping from wounds, others groping the air because they are blind, some bound from head to toe because they were lepers......all coming toward Him. They were being harrassed by people near them. Imagine the sight.

His disciples were with Him. Imagine what they thought! They were humble fishermen who had probably never seen so many people in their lives....and now all these people were coming to Jesus and them for help. I am sure there was a bit of panic on their faces!

Yet, we have the words of Jesus:

"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved to compassion for them, because they were weary (harrassed) and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

He is the Good Shepherd. He cares for His sheep. Having known what sin had done to His creation, Jesus is moved to compassion for them. Moved to the point of willingly laying down His life as the atonement for their sins to set them free.....free from that bondage, free from death.

And now, the Samaritan woman was about to be called as one of the laborers to help Jesus with the harvest.

Ask Jesus today to make you one of those laborers....so you can know His rest.

Jer 6:16

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Until next time........

"Never choose to be a worker; but when once God has put His call on you, woe to you if you turn to the right hand or to the left. We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has apprehended us. There is never any thought of -'Oh, well, I am not fitted for this.' What you are to preach is determined buy God, not by your own natural inclinations. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not to bear testimony only, but to preach the gospel. Every Christian must tesify, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God's hand on you, your life is in the grip of God for that one thing. How many of us are held like that?

Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are- not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace."

-Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost for His Highest, 1935)

Blessings,

Ruth