Are you thirsty?...come!

Let him who thirsts come!..

I guess that all of you have read about the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well, and what happened after that. But not so many of you probably identify yourself with her, and know what really happened  when she talked with Jesus..I will write to you about her, because I can identify with her.

The Samaritan woman is a highly favored woman.. even more favored than the  song of Solomon 31 woman, because to meet Jesus and have that special time with Him..wow!, and to have her  life story printed in the bible. That is probably something we all would have loved..or  maybe not the last part about our life story, not if it was like hers…?

 It was not a secret in her village that she had been the wife of 5 menn, and at this time she had a man that was not her own ( she was  probably a mistress)…

She was not honored in her village ( she probably could not conceive kids).. and the shame she had to face every day I can only imagine a little bit of, because the shame I have endured has not been that great in comparison.

I do know how she must have felt when she walked at the 6 hour to get water from the well…lonely and judged , because she went at a time when nobody else went to get water…and she went alone, and not in a group of women as women usually did. I know how I felt going to church alone after my divorce, or meeting up with family. I know how it feels to have eyes looking at you, to judge you… and how easily tears come at night..

Jesus got a word in His spirit from the Father, that he was to go to this Jacob well in Samaria and talk to a woman there. And so Jesus did so.

Jesus sent His disciples away to get bread, ..but I think the main reason  he sent them away- was so that he could be alone with her. If the disciples had been there, they would have disturbed it all, because they did not understand that a Jewish man could talk to a Samaritan woman. Not only was it forbidden to talk to or be in the presence of the “dirty” Samaritans, but to talk to a woman was also not something a man did…women at that time was not valued that much.

As the woman approached Jesus, she saw that He was a Jew- Jesus did not have to tell her that- she saw it. I find her to be a very brave woman, because she did not turn around and leave immediately..maybe because she had nothing of honor to loose.

“ Give me a drink”..the first words Jesus says to the woman is this “ give me a drink”….

She did not seem to be able to give him a drink, because she was so surprised that He talked to her at all..and she was suspicious of him and why he asked her…

Jesus told her something very important; IF YOU KNEW THE GIFT OF GOD…you would have ASKED HIM, and HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER…

The first time we hear about someone being thirsty and asking for water is in Exodus 17.

The  Children of Israel are in the wilderness, but they could not find any water where they camped…so they asked moses; Give us water, that we may drink!...

As God commanded Moses, so he did, and water came out from the ROCK of Horeb…..

Then in John 6 , Jesus shares with the people how HE is the bread of life and that His BLOOD is a drink, giving us eternal life. He told them that it is the spirit who gives life, and that His words to them was words of LIFE and Spirit!...John .6 63

Many people left Jesus at this point , because they thought he sounded like crazy…and Jesus askes His disciples; will you also leave ?..Peter said;  Lord, to whom shall we go?...YOU have the words of eternal life . John 6.68

Jesus also said as we all know; I AM the way , the truth  and the LIFE!...

Life is not something that can be found outside of Jesus, and so he told them; you have to eat me, and drink my blood to have LIFE inside you…my body is like that Rock in the wilderness, and when the spear went into my body- water and blood came out to give what you thirst for; water( spirit) and LIFE!

In the book of revelation – water and living water is mentioned many times.

“ and He showed me a pure river of water of LIFE, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb”..Rev 22.1

“ and the spirit and the bride says; come!, and let him who hears say; come!..and let him who THIRST come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” Rev.22.17

The living water is not like natural water, because it is full of the spirit of God, of the Lamb….because it is HIMSELF, He is the living water our soul, spirit and body needs.

When I walked in the city of Jerusalem last year this time, I got lost in eastern part of Jerusalem…and because I had forgotten to bring water, I became VERY thirsty, so thirsty that I feared I would faint. I made up some rescue plan for myself – just in case I did not find any shop to buy water. I planned to step into the road and stop a turist bus driving by, because I knew that they had lots of water bottles for the turist..that is how desperate I felt, but at the end of myself I found a small shop , selling water, coke and  ice cream. I bought some water , and never in my life has water tasted that Good. I felt life returning to me.. When I looked at the water bottle it said with big letters; “ living water”…to me that said more than 1000 words J…wow!

Being In dry and religious Jerusalem, begging God for water, and then finding this water bottle saying; Living water..it thought me that what people in Jerusalem and in the world are searching for is WATER that can give them life. Spiritual water, for their inner thirst.

Returning to the Samaritan woman, know that the living water Jesus was talking about- was the gift of God that he wanted to give to her;  A white robe , washed in the blood of the lamb, and His own spirit for her inner thirst. His own words for her thirsty soul.  This was what Jesus was there to give to her. Wow!..that is so precious.

Jesus said in John 10. “ I AM the door, he who enters by me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture…the thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy.., I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”

The woman said to Him; “ give me this water….”
Jesus replied to her; go, call your husband and come here”…

Why did he ask her to go and get her husband….?..

One thing is sure, in response to her; give me this water…Jesus needed to enter her heart, and to do so, he needed to get permission.  He got her heart in return when she said; “ I have no husband.”..she opened herself up in honesty before him.

Jesus  replied to her “ You have said well….for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not yours.”…John. 4.18

She had opened up her heart by her honesty, and Jesus revealed to her that he knew it all….even before she started to talk with him, he knew it all…but did he tell her anything about her  life style ?..no!..Jesus did not come to condemn this world , but to save!
As the woman got this close to Jesus she probably felt uncomfortable , and so she tried to change the subject..

As they talked about where to worship and so, Jesus brought her attention back to what he was trying to give her, and said, “ the hour is coming, and is NOW, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship HIM…”

In other words, he was telling her that the way to worship is not to go  here or there, but  to open up your  heart in the presence of Jesus-  that is How you worship the Father. In truth and in His spirit we worship…that is how you receive the Living water of life!

The last words that Jesus managed to say to her , before the disciples returned and disturbed it all was; I AM the messiah  ( the one she had heard about should come one day)…

The woman then left her waterpot ( she was never able to give Jesus any water)…and she run into the city and told the men in the city; “ come , see a man who has told me everything about me!....could he be messiah?”….

For some reason the men in that city, did follow her back to the well… I am not sure you know what a miracle that was; normally the men thought of the women as being liars…so why should they even consider listening to her?...But with the presence of Jesus being on her, because she just came from his presence., the power of God drew those men to Jesus.

As they met Jesus themselves, they welcomed him to their village, and MANY got saved those days than Jesus stayed there. And they said to the woman; “ now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard him ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Messiah, the savior of the world”…John.4.39

There will be many people in heaven who will one day be  thanking the Samaritan woman for her testimonies of Jesus, which brought them to Jesus themselves.

I want to encourage you all to remember this woman, and to be as bold as her….

No matter if you have had 5 menn( or women)…and no matter how much the church condemn you for what has happened in your life. Receive Jesus, and keep receiving Jesus into your  honest heart everyday, and be a witness of HIM..  Jesus is not asking you for some diploma of righteous living before you can witness about him, he is asking for your Honest heart!...and calling us to HIMSELF, so that we from our heart will witness to others about how wonderful he is.

There are those that have told me that I should never minister anything from Gods word, because my life has not been righteous/right/perfect…

 One day when I strongly felt so discouraged and like I could never do anything at all for God…  God reminded me about the Samaritan woman..and for the rest of my life, she will be an inspiration to me, to keep being a witness of Jesus, no matter what. To keep going out into the world to witness about HIM, and not let shame, men, church doctrine or anyone tell me I can not. It is not about me or us, it is about JESUS!, it is HIM we testify about..He is the righteous one, He is our savior!.

COME!...see a man that has told me everything I have done…and not condemned me…

Come !.see a man that has living water to give to you..LIFE!, just as He gave it to me.

And the spirit and the bride says, COME!

Anita Grimsbø