Text: John 4:1-29
When I read the story of Jesus and the woman at the well, I see so much of myself in her. I wish the woman had a name in this story, but I think it’s intentional that she doesn’t. It is so easy to read these verses and have empathy for “this poor woman.”
But what if this woman was you.
What if the shame she wears, visible to all in her community, is your shame?
I often wonder if she chose her times at the well strategically: knowing when she would most likely be alone.
No judgment from a stranger.
No shame as she faces another.
No disgusted looks or rude comments.
What do you think went through her mind as she approached the well and saw Jesus sitting there?
I believe she wanted to continue hiding—hoping he wouldn’t take notice of her arrival at the well.
As we read on about her story, it’s clear that she is hiding, a prisoner of her shame.
Shame: a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety {source}
There is a big lie that accompanies the feeling of shame: it is a lie that one must remain silent and keep the guilt inside.
Don’t let people close.
Stay silent.
But what I love about Jesus is that He doesn’t allow these lies to continue.
He not only notices the woman, but he asks a pointed question that forces the woman to speak truth to her shame—for her silence to be no more. [v. 16-17]
He replaces her shame with a fresh start.
He replaces her silence with truth.
He takes the temporary fixes—the water that quenches our immediate thirst—and replaces it with living water.
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” [V. 13-14, ESV]
Sisters, He wants to give you new life. He hurts when He sees you–His cherished daughter–locked in the chains of shame.
Take time today to end the silence of whatever you’re carrying. Speak truth and lay it at His feet: just as you are.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [John 10:10, ESV]
The story of the woman at the well reminds me of myself. I was broken, bitter, and confused at one point in my life. I did somethings I was ashamed of and it haunted me. I isolated myself from people to not have to face the things I had done but I learned that if I didnt confess my sins I would be stuck in that spot that I was in. One great thing about it is all the time I was going through the things that I was going through, God was right there with me, he kept calling my name. I finally stopped running from my sins and from the Lord and answered his call and all I can say is: “Falling in Love with Jesus is the best thing I’ve ever done.” He shows me Love that I know that no other man can show me unless he is after Gods own heart.
(****cont'd***)When she opened up, Jesus literally had to room to prophesy what we would experience today. Non-Jews literally infused into the family and the chosen people of God who no longer worship only in Jerusalem, but in our homes, in our churches, ANYWHERE!
Because she was transparent with Christ, He was in turn transparent with her, revealing to her that He is, in fact, the Messiah she spoke of. Jesus rarely does this in personal encounters, but this brings so much hope to me. When we are open and honest with Him, He shows us more of who HE is……
Suffice it to say, this morning's devotion spoke LIFE to my dry bones!! THANK GOD!!
Couldnt go without commenting on this one! So many WONDERFUL things going through my mind this morning that I am almost CRYING out with gratefulness to God for His word and this story!!
This woman didnt even realize how she was shaping and painting a picture of the things that would come about long after she was gone… How she didnt realize at first who she was talking to (9&10), How she asked questions to decipher the voice (vs 11 &12), How God will answer when we seek to know who HE is (vs 13 & 14), How His presence allows us to be free and admit out shortcomingss (vs 17), and then after we have been shown her faults she challenges the entire system of Judaism by stating how she too believes and worships. Even though she is living in sin, even though she has so many faults she is ashamed, even though she knows that God is the God of the Jews, she too, knows, believes, and WORSHIPS!!
Jesus knew the shame that was on the Samaritan woman's heart, but I believe He wanted her to acknowledge that shame herself. If we do not acknowledge the chains that bind us, whether shame or guilt or both, we don't even know how trapped we are in our own ways of thinking or patterns of behavior. I acknowledged my own shame to the Lord just now and it made me realize how locked up I am. So locked up that I have not been able to accept the gift of grace, not fully at least. Obviously, it will take me some time to feel free, but I think acknowledging those chains of shame that bind us is a huge step in and of itself. God already knows just what those chains are, but He needs us to acknowledge them so that we recognize how we imprison ourselves. And all so that we may seek the beautiful freedom of His love and grace. Another wonderful and well needed reading!!
Getting rid of the dead skeletons to have life!!!
This was such an amazing message. We are all so vulnerable as humans. So many of our stories are the same..looking for love..significance..and meaning in all the wrong places. I too was married and divorced a couple of times..and each time it takes apiece of you. But God is faithful promise keeper and He does restore the years the locust have eaten. Have faith my sisters and believe that He will do what he said.
I just want to thank all of SheReadsTruth woman! I am 13 and I love reading along with true Woman of God. I have grown in my faith with Jesus because of SheReadsTruth! Thank you so much!
I read this devotion this morning… And boy did it speak volumes to me!!
The guilt and shame I have being carrying for a year began when I started an online affair with a man from my church. He and I had grown up together, had a lot in common, were both missing things in our marriages, and found a friend in each other. But it quickly spiraled into an affair of the heart. It only lasted two weeks, as our spouses discovered our betrayal and we all began picking up the pieces. Through God's grace, I received forgiveness from my husband and my family… And from HIS family! My husband and I started a journey of rebuilding that brought us closer together and closer to God.
And although I received grace and forgiveness very quickly, I have spent the past year in a battle of shame and guilt. How could I– a person raised in the church, a leader in my church– get trapped by sin so easily? How could I do something that hurt so many people? I lost a lot of friends because of it… And although God has used me and what I have been through and learned many times, I fight the devil daily. I can say that I know God's grace is enough, but I worry over the thoughts and words of man. I hide my redemption behind my shame because I worry what people are saying about me or thinking about me. What I SHOULD be doing is showing my redemption and let people talk about the glorious transformation God has made in my life!!
It is a daily struggle… It is still all so fresh and raw. But I know my redeemer lives. I know He bore my sins for me on the cross, that 2000 years ago he knew I would be sinning against him and he chose to die for me anyway. And even though I do not always feel like it, he has deemed me worthy of his grace and forgiveness… And I accept it!