Apicontent

“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’
“He said to her, ‘Go call your husband and come back here.’
“The woman replied, ‘I have no husband.’
“Jesus said to her, ‘Right you are when you said, “I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!’” —John 4:15–18

In these verses, Jesus demonstrates to us the truth of Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.”

Going forth in the wisdom that God alone provides, the righteous are as trees of life. Continually displaying and offering God’s teaching, reproofing, and training in righteousness, God’s people point others to the Savior. We have the unique privilege of communicating with both words and deed God’s wisdom and His love to those who do not know Him!

This woman was in need of deliverance. Coming alone to retrieve water from the well in the middle of the day indicates to us perhaps that she was not surrounded by the companionship of many female friends. Most likely, the women would go together to the well in the early morning hours. According to her own words, she desired not to have to keep coming to the well to draw water. Perhaps she did not like the task; perhaps she did not like the rejection. More than likely, this woman was ostracized by the women of her town due to her lifestyle, and therefore she was open to the hope and acceptance which Jesus held out. Whatever the reason, she wanted the liberation that He was offering.

Jesus knows that she will be open to the remedy of grace. He doesn’t badger her, he doesn’t accuse her, he simply says, “Go, call your husband and come back.” Her response to Him is true, yet misleading: “I have no husband.” Jesus knows her exact situation. Her response was intended as a denial, yet sweetly Jesus interprets it as a confession. This woman is about to be set free!

“The love of Christ both wounds and heals, it fascinates and frightens, it kills and makes alive, it draws and repulses. There can be nothing more terrible or wonderful than to be stricken with love for Christ so deeply that the whole being goes out in a pained adoration of His person, an adoration that disturbs and disconcerts while it purges and satisfies and relaxes the deep inner heart.” —A. W. Tozer

Just as Jesus’ words revealed to the woman at the well who she really was, the Word of God reveals to us who we really are. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” —Hebrews 4:12–13

We need to be open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction so that we can live in the liberation that Jesus bought for us on the cross.

Become More

“Allow God to have complete liberty in your life when you speak. Before God’s message can liberate other people, His liberation must first be real in you. Gather your material carefully, and then allow God to ‘set your words on fire’ for His glory.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflections

“Jesus showed us what God really wants to cleanse and purify—our hearts. Christ’s transforming work on the cross helps us to break free from desires that hold us in bondage. As we submit to God, we become like Christ, no longer wanting to offend God. Out of gratitude we obey Him from the inside out.” —Tremper Longman

“Stand with confidence, serve with compassion, speak with care, submit with contrition, and share with concern. A believer should be what God wants him to be, do what God wants him to do, say what God wants him to say, sense what God wants him to sense, and share what God wants him to share. Spiritual maturity involves every aspect of life.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

“So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!” —Matthew 5:23–26

Jesus tells us that when we find ourselves faced with troubles and conflict concerning fellow believers, or even our foes and adversaries, it is part of our calling and privilege to do our best to make things right. Harmony with others may not always be achievable, yet as Christians, we should not be the ones responsible for the lack of relationship or peace.

Paul tells us: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people” (Romans 12:18).

We are to bring peace, love, and forgiveness into all our relationships in spite of all of our differences, no matter how difficult they may be! It is simply not about us! This is part of the dying to self. It behooves us to remember that forgiveness is for the forgiver. When we harbor ill will for another it does nothing but poison us. Forgiveness on the other hand breathes life into our souls. Sin always destroys while obedience brings life in abundance.

“Forgiveness saves us the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” —Hannah More

We are to work toward reconciliation whenever a breach has occurred in any relationship, but particularly with fellow believers. I cannot believe God applauds any division in His Body, the Church. In our verses for today, Jesus states that we are unfit for communion with God when we harbor ill will against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love and forgiveness are better than burnt offerings; our humble attempts at reconciliation will always be a sweet-smelling sacrifice to our heavenly Father. It is God’s desire for us to be a quickly forgiving people; those who are slow to become angry and quick to forgive. We are not to be a people who harbor, smolder, and seethe, seeking revenge rather than forgiveness. It is the way our Lord demonstrated, even as He hung on the cross:

“So when they came to the place that is called ‘The Skull,’ they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [But Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’] Then they threw dice to divide his clothes.” —Luke 23:33–34

Do we find ourselves in the unenviable position whereby we are being mistreated? It is both the teaching and example of Jesus that we are to forgive, difficult as that may seem. Yet with God, nothing is impossible! He never calls us to obedience without equipping us for the task. He is the ever-ready supply of grace, sufficient to meet our needs.

Become More

“Make me into a rock which swallows up the waves of wrong in its great caverns and never throws them back to swell the commotion of the angry sea from whence they came. Ah! To annihilate wrong in this way–to say, ‘It shall not be wrong against me, so utterly do I forgive it!’” —George MacDonald

“You never touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies.” —Corrie Ten Boom

“The man who is truly forgiven and knows it is a man who forgives.” —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Further Reflections

“Peacemakers are people who breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then they bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe His grace through peacemakers and use them to dissipate anger, improve understanding, promote justice, and encourage repentance and restoration.” —Ken Sande

“Consider Christ. He was of a meek and quiet spirit, and of a most long-suffering behavior … He was very much the object of bitter contempt and reproach, and slights and despised as of but little account. Though he as the Lord of glory, yet he was set at naught, and rejected … He was the object of the spit and malice and bitter reviling of the very ones he came to save … He was called a deceiver of people, and oftentimes he was said to be mad, and possessed with the devil … He was charged with being a wicked blasphemer, and one that deserved death on that account. They hated him with morbid hatred, and wished he was dead, and from time to time tried to murder him … His life was an annoyance to them, and they hated him so they could not bear that he should live … Yet Christ meekly bored all these injuries without resentment or one word of reproach, and with heavenly quietness of spirit pass through them all … On the contrary, he prayed for his murderers, that they might be forgiven, even when they were nailing him to the cross; and not only prayed for them, but pleaded in their behalf with His Father, that they knew not what they were doing.” —Jonathan Edwards

“Sir,” the woman said to him, “you have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do you get this living water? Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” —John 4:11–14

Why is it that it is often easy for us to argue with Jesus? As His followers, all the promises of Scripture are ours, yet, like this woman at the well, we often question His plan, or His ability, or His compassion, or His love. If we do not see a visible sign of how Jesus will accomplish a promise, we often dismiss it. Our understanding of His ability to achieve a promise is inconsequential, yet unfortunately, we still lean all too often on our own veiled wisdom.

The Bible tells us:

“Trust in then LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

In our verses for today, Jesus was speaking figuratively to the woman, while she took Him literally, questioning His ability to retrieve water from such a deep well. Unbeknownst to her, the depth of Jacob’s well was nothing in comparison to the depth of the wells of her own human heart. As we allow Jesus to draw out of our wells our hurt, or disappointment, or need, or desires, or insecurities, or indifference, or whatever else might be in there, He replenishes them with the living water of the precious Holy Spirit. He fills and heals us from within. Indeed, says Jesus, he gives us a spring of water which will take us into eternal life.

“On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, “From within him will flow rivers of living water.”’ (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)” —John 7:37–39

Satisfaction—is there not a wonderful sweetness to that word? Look around at the unsatisfied. We are ever craving beings and yet all the creature comforts of this temporal world are imperfect and not lasting. Look how hard people work to achieve an end to their appetites while all the while singing, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” The world yields but transient satisfaction. Jesus says, “I am offering to you what will truly satisfy—believe Me!”

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say: ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.” —Revelation 22:17

Become More

“Our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, ‘It’s easy to say, “Trust in the Lord,” but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water–no means to be able to give us these things.’ If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflections

“Jesus knows that apart from living water we are all thirsty. We try to fill our wells with all sorts of things that will never satisfy. But the living water Jesus offers will allow us to never thirst again. ‘I send forth the river of life now to refresh and bring life to those who thirst after Me. I dry up the streams of inspiration before the feet of the proud. Those who glory in their own thoughts shall not drink. Those who pursue the paths of human reason shall be as a desert. I Myself am the direct source and the only source of eternal life. Every other well is dry. Every other pursuit is vain. But you shall be a fountain flowing forth whose streams shall not fail, for I, the Lord your God, dwell in the midst of you.’” —Frances L. Roberts

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

—Robert Robinson

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”—John 4:10

I love this encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well! It is within this meeting that we see Him perfectly demonstrating to us how to captivate the captive. Jesus has asked this woman for a cup of water, not because he is thirsty, but because he wants to have a conversation with her. Waving off her objection to the differences between the Jews and Samaritans, Jesus avoids an argument and instead turns her attention to something much more important.

He wants her to think.

Jesus came to set the captive free. No longer would those who believe in Him be forced to live in bondage to sin and deprivation. He came to give life and life to the full, to show the incomparable riches of God’s grace. There is nothing anyone can do to earn this gift and nothing anyone can do to deserve it.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8–9

Jesus holds the gift of life out to all and issues the sweet word to us, “Come.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

The “living water” Jesus refers to in our verse for today is the precious Holy Spirit who is given to every believer in Christ. This “living water” empowers us to do God’s work and equips us to experience life to the full.

Become More

“It is clear then, that there is no hope for me out of Christ: for there is no other blood-shedding which is worth a thought as an atonement for sin. Am I then believing in Him? Is the blood of His atonement truly applied to my soul? All men are on a level as to their need of Him. If we be never so moral, generous, amiable, or patriotic, the rule will not be altered to make an exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than the blood of Him whom God hath set forth as a propitiation. What a blessing that there is the one way of pardon! Why should we seek another?” —C. H. Spurgeon

Further Reflections

“Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not … It matters not what thy need is, for there is fullness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee.” —C. H. Spurgeon

“And although you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…” —Ephesians 2:1–3

“But he had to pass through Samaria. Now he came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me some water to drink.’

“(For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies.) So the Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?’ (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)”—John 4:4–9

While the shortest route from Judea to Galilee was through Samaria, it was not the only way. Many Jews would never have thought of entering into Samaritan territory.

The relationship between the Jews and Samaritans was one of great hostility. The Jews hated the Samaritans who were only half Jew by blood and didn’t worship God in the same way. Indeed, the Jews forbade the Samaritan from the services in the temple and considered their food unclean. Enter Jesus. John says, “He had to go through Samaria. Had to? Jesus had an appointment that he was not about to miss. An appointment that gives us a wonderful example of offering freedom to those in bondage.

Weary from the walk it took to get to the city, Jesus sits down by the well and waits. Ever been weary in the center of God’s will? There is so much kingdom work to be done on this side of heaven and oftentimes we feel overwhelmed. This is nothing new! From the Old Testament to the New, there is a tendency for those serving God to become weary. However, oftentimes we simply keep moving on. Jesus demonstrates for us an important principle. Rather than run ahead with His disciples as they go about the necessary task of gathering food for them to eat, Jesus shows us discernment by waiting at the well for His next divine appointment.

I wonder how many golden opportunities I have forgone in order to quench my earthly appetite.

In this passage, we find Jesus breaking the social norms of His day. He was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a Samaritan woman, who was also a stranger. This totally caught her off guard, as a rabbi would never have spoken to a Samaritan woman.

Taking the time to teach a single person, and a woman at that, Jesus opens the conversation with an everyday request. Amazed at His willingness to cross religious boundaries, Jesus captures her attention and eventually her heart. Are you open to the divine appointments God gives you each day? 

Become More

What might you accomplish for God’s kingdom if you open your life to His appointments?

“We see here how divine Providence brings about glorious purposes by events which seem to us fortuitous and accidental.” —Matthew Henry

Further Reflections

“O My child, do not be overcharged with the cares of everyday living, and do not let your energies be consumed by humdrum tasks. What is needed, must be done; but if you put the ministry of the Kingdom in first place, My strength will be yours for other tasks, and time will be given to you for both. You do not need to respond to every call. Learn to discern when I would use you, and when I would have the other individual lean wholly upon Me. Otherwise, you may restrict the development of the other person’s spiritual ministry, and rather than helping, you may become an actual hindrance. I will not overtax you. I will use you, but I will not destroy you in the using. But you may destroy yourself if you lack this discernment and fail to know when to direct others to look to Me.” —Frances J. Roberts

“Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer–to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, ‘I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ‘Well done.’’ It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a ‘doormat’ under people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, ‘I know how to be abased …’ (Philippians 4:12) … Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted–not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister?” —Oswald Chambers

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare what God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.” —Luke 8:38–39

How much has Jesus done for you? Has He set you free from bondage? Has He set your feet upon a rock, giving you a firm place to stand? Has He let you rest your head “between His shoulders”? Has He bestowed upon you His love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control in ever increasing measures? Then by all means, let others know!

Our demoniac turned disciple begged to go with Jesus. The word translated “begged” is from the Greek word deomai meaning to want, need; it is necessary, it must be, making a request as an inferior of a superior (The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids). He greatly desired to go with Jesus in much the same way as others in the Bible whom Jesus had released from bondage. It is important for us to remember that all believers have been set free—some of us just do not seem to have that awareness or appreciation.

If this man was not allowed to continue on with Jesus, then he was certainly going to tell others about his experience. I am reminded of the encounter of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus. After their conversation she became quite the evangelist! John tells us:

“Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, and because of his word many more believed.” —John 4:39–41

Personal testimony of the message of Jesus is still God’s primary method for spreading the glorious news of salvation. There is no greater witness for our Lord than a changed life and one that is willing to share that change with others. Every believer has a story to tell and every story points to Christ. Our stories are most passionately told by ourselves, and who can refute what has happened to us personally? Again, I am reminded of Scripture that addresses this matter. A man, blind from birth, was healed by Jesus and then questioned by the Pharisees:

“Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, ‘Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.’ He replied, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.’ … They heaped insults on him, saying, ‘You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!’ The man replied, ‘This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him. Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’” —John 9:24–25, 28–33

This man’s witness was clear and he refused to deny what he knew for certain. We need to speak out about what we know for certain. As a friend of mine wrote to encourage me, “We must keep sharing our faith. God is the only answer to this sinful, sad, sick world.”

Become More

God has placed each one of us in this specific time and place to be a beacon of light in this dark world. We are to shine like stars. We are to be salt that has not lost its saltiness; the preservative that permeates this decaying world.

Let others know!

Further Reflections

“Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.” —Philippians 2:1–4

“Then Jesus came up and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” —Matthew 28:18–20

“Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission. So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside. So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and left.” —Luke 8:32–37

The crowds were seized with fear. Instead of rejoicing over the triumph of evil, these people chose to remain paralyzed by their fear to the point of expelling from their premises their only hope for salvation. Fear.

The Oxford Dictionary defines this word as “unpleasant emotion; a state of alarm; a dread or fearful respect; anxiety for the safety of; danger or likelihood of something not welcomed; uneasy expectation; and apprehensive about.” Fear can paralyze us. However, fear is the opposite emotion of what we have in Jesus: confidence and courage. Paul tells us:

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.” —Philippians 4:6

For each one of us, we have a choice between trusting in Christ in the midst of our circumstances and worrying over them. This does not mean that we sit around doing nothing as we wait for God to act. Confidence and courage result when we engage in the things Jesus calls us to. Paul tells us:

“Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.” —Colossians 3:23–24

I love this quote from Frederick Buechner because it gives credence to our passage for today as to why the crowds were so fearful:

“‘Thy will be done’ is what we’re saying … We are asking God to be God. We are asking God to do not only what we want but what God wants. We are asking to make manifest the holiness that is now mostly hidden, to set free in all its terrible splendor the devastating power that is now mostly under restraint … ‘Thy kingdom come …. on earth’ is what we are saying. And if that were suddenly to happen, what then? What would stand and what would fall? …. To speak these words is to invite the tiger out of the cage … You need to be bold in another way to speak the other half. Give us. Forgive us. Don’t test us. Deliver us. If it takes guts to face the omnipotence that is God’s, it takes perhaps no less to face the impotence that is ours. We can do nothing without God. Without God we are nothing. It is only the words ‘Our Father’ which make the prayer bearable. If God is indeed something like a father, then as something like children maybe we can risk approaching.”

I believe that one of the reasons we experience so much fear in our society today is because we have lost the fear of God. This fear is the only fear commanded in Scripture: we are to fear God and God alone. We make a big mistake when we put God on our level. Think about it for a moment, what would it actually be like to be in the presence of God? We need have no fear of life if we have the fear of God.

We must remember that God is approachable only through Christ’s work on the cross. Without that, we are all as dead men! I am reminded of Hebrews 12 describing Moses’ reaction to God’s holiness on Mount Sinai:

“For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more. For they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I shudder with fear.’” —Hebrews 12:18–21

As believers in Jesus we have access to God in all of His splendor and power and awesomeness and holiness. We can approach His throne only on the merits of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins. The blood He shed took away our sins and has allowed us to be ushered back into the holy presence of the great “I AM.”

Become More

We experience Jesus’ power to dispel our fear because of God’s greatness. Trust in God’s plan for you and His power to accomplish that plan. He is watching over you!

Further Reflections

“But I trust in you, O LORD! I declare, ‘You are my God.’ You determine my destiny! Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.” —Psalm 31:14–15

“Fearing the LORD is the beginning of discernment, but fools have despised wisdom and moral instruction.” —Proverbs 1:7

“As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, ‘Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!’ For Jesus had started commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so he would be bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard. But he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion,’ because many demons had entered him. And they began to beg him not to order them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission. So the demons came out of him.” —Luke 8:27–31

This passage of scripture certainly gives assent to demonic possession being one of the worst forms of human suffering known to mankind. Naked, homeless, living amongst the dead, chained, and driven to solitary places, this poor man’s spirit was in dire pain and distress. Blackest darkness certainly prevailed until Jesus appeared bringing light onto the scene.

Throughout the Bible, demons have always recognized Jesus and His power over them. I am reminded specifically of the first chapter of Job. The scene is heaven:

“Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD—and Satan also arrived among them. The LORD said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ And Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.’ The LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.’ Then Satan answered the LORD, ‘Is it for nothing that Job fears God? Have you not made a hedge around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land. But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!’
“So the LORD said to Satan, ‘All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” —Job 1:6–12

God is always ultimately in control. Satan, the accuser, cannot buffet the child of God apart from God’s divine permission. God’s purposes are never thwarted (Job 42:1). Yet, for a time, Satan has dominion over the earth and its people. For believers, Satan’s power and authority have been disarmed by Jesus by the cross. Scripture tells us:

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” —Colossians 2:13–15

Indeed, Satan has no control over the life of a believer. However, while Satan’s power has been disarmed through Jesus, he certainly continues to shoot plenty of his fiery darts at us, seeking our ruin. If he cannot keep us from being saved, his strategy is to keep us from being used. Peter gives us this command:

“Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.” —1 Peter 5:8–9

When Jesus asks this demon possessed man his name, He is asking for more than just what the man is called. In those days people’s names were reflective of their character, their reputation. Interestingly, the name “Legion” referred to a division of three to six thousand men in the ancient Roman army. This name indicated that the demons were a large organized body, a vast host, a multitude in number. A pathetic sight for certain. This man was hopeless and helpless to change anything about his dire condition. We have no idea what it means to be possessed by such monsters, but I am certain we have all experienced circumstances when we have felt totally powerless.

Jesus desires to remedy our situations too—whatever they may be. Oftentimes it is in these instances that we are reminded of our total dependency upon Him. All the while He is gently whispering in our ears:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

Become More

“Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence.” —Jude 1:24

Today, embrace the power you have in Jesus to overcome your desperate situations. He is with you!

Further References

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” —John 10:10

“Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” —Ephesians 6:10–11

“After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town. Just then some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.’ Then some of the experts in the law said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming!’ When Jesus perceived their thoughts he said, ‘Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—then he said to the paralytic—‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.’ So he stood up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were afraid and honored God who had given such authority to men.” —Matthew 9:1–8

The power and compassion of the Lord Jesus is demonstrated in this passage as He again proves himself to be the skillful and faithful physician of both body and soul. Jesus has sufficient remedies for all maladies affecting and afflicting mankind. Remember what the prophet Isaiah said?

“He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant.” —Isaiah 53:3–4

Mark tells us in his gospel that four men with humble faith brought a paralytic to the Master for healing. Lying on a mat, carried by caring companions, this paralyzed man was both helpless and hopeless. Fortunately for him, his friends carried him to the God of the helpless and hopeless. The crowds had become so great that the paralytic’s buddies ingeniously made a plan of digging through the roof above Jesus and lowering their paralyzed friend—while still on this mat—straight down through the opening before the feet of the Healer. I think it interesting that these friends did not ask Jesus to come to them—which would have been far easier. Rather, they humbly and boldly brought their friend to the Master. A strong faith does not regard obstacles in pressing after Jesus. We discover again, the Lord ever honors true faith:

“Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them. Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” —Mark 2:1–5

Instead of being in awe over having been eyewitnesses to the miraculous fingermarks of God, some of the teachers of the law complained that Jesus was a blasphemer because no one could forgive sins but God. It is here that we see the grace of God met with hell’s enmity. Never mind the miracle they had just experienced. Jesus just did not fit into their neat mold of religiosity. He made them uncomfortable … and He made them angry. I am reminded of King David’s prayer for his son Solomon regarding God’s full knowledge of our thoughts and the motives of our hearts:

“And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the LORD examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently.” —1 Chronicles 28:9

There are no obstacles to the work of Jesus! He cares not about circumstances or reactions to His work. Jesus loves each one of us and will accomplish all that He has planned.

Become More

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1

“Certainly the LORD watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” —2 Chronicles 16:9

What obstacles are you facing today? Bring them to Jesus!

Further Reflections

“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” —George Mueller

“Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee … Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify His might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed around him. Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped. Then Jesus asked, ‘Who was it who touched me?’ When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.’ When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’” —Luke 8:43–48

Crowds follow healers. Need has been rampant since Eve took her first bite of the forbidden fruit. The thing is, our Healer has a 100 percent success rate. You can only imagine the throngs crushing in on Him. Jesus was on His way to yet another healing when this sweet infirmed woman comes up behind Him just to touch the edge of His cloak. No one had had the ability or power to heal her. For twelve long years she had been subject to an issue of blood, making her ceremonially unclean and anything she touched ceremonially unclean (see Leviticus 15:25–30). This was a huge burden! Think about that for a minute. For twelve years no one had desired to touch her. No hugs, no pats on the hands, no kisses on the forehead, no normal human interaction. Weary from battle, she pushes forward to grab the edge of Jesus’ cloak thinking, “If I can just touch Him!”

Immediately (don’t you love that word—it is so Jesus), the bleeding stops. Many Scriptures are flooding my mind right now on how quickly Jesus comes to our aid. While physical healing is not always what we need from Him, His presence, comfort, grace, and peace are always provided as we walk through our valleys. One such verse comes from the book of Psalms:

“The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. The LORD is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely. He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them. The LORDprotects all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.” —Psalm 145:17–20

Jesus is in the business of making us whole. His longing is for us to reach His intended purposes and goals for our lives so that we may be complete, perfect, proficient, full-grown, and mature—not lacking anything. He desires for us to bring glory to God through our lives by equipping us with the power of the Holy Spirit. He may accomplish this through physical healing, or through death, through changing our circumstances, or through giving us the grace to persevere in them.

One purpose of our valleys is to grow us up in Him. Remember that it is Jesus who is the perfecter of our faith. He does not want us to grow weary and lose heart. In Jim Cymbala’s book, Break Through Prayer, he tells the story of a near death heroin addict and Jesus’ subsequent rescue. This is a modern-day story of a rescue by our Lord:

“Then, in the midst of all my pain, something or someone whispered words I had heard before: The day you call on the Lord, He will set you free. All the other voices tried to drown it out, but they couldn’t! I don’t know if it was an angel or the Holy Spirit, but the words came through clearly: ‘The day you call on the Lord, He will set you free.’ In absolute desperation I screamed from my bed, ‘Jesus, help me! O God, help me with everything! You’re my only hope, so please help, Jesus!’ I didn’t understand anything about prayer, so I even used ‘personal references’ as I cried out: ‘Jesus, Wanda said that when I called on your name, you would deliver me. So help me now, O God.’

“At that moment Almighty God swept over me and around me. I knew He was real because all the voices in my head suddenly stopped their hellish screaming and the ball of fear that had been weighing on me lifted. I knew everything had changed even though nothing outwardly had—I was still lying in my vomit in a hospital bed in the Bronx. But I was a million miles from where I had been before I said that prayer. The day I called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He did set me free!”

Become More

Take a few moments to praise Jesus for His healing touch. Thank God for people who are faithful to witness for our Lord to those who are hurting.

Further Reflections

“I, the LORD, do these things. I, the LORD, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the LORD. I say to you, ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’” —Jeremiah 33:2–3

“My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” —James 1:2–4

“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” —Romans 10:11–13