John 4:10: 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.'"
As one reads through the fourth chapter of John, one is taken back by the powerful exchange that Jesus would have with a Samaritan woman. Previously, at the beginning of the chapter, one finds that the Pharisees received news that Jesus' disciples were baptizing more people than John's disciples. To be sure this would have been news that would have caught the attention of the religious leaders, for John already had seen a tremendous response of people in the region to his baptizing and calling to repentance.
The Pharisees knew that Jesus was a great teacher who had come from God, for they knew that "no one could perform the miraculous signs . . . if God were not with him" (John 3:2). Jesus then left the area and returned to Galilee. Although there is no explanation of why Jesus quickly left Judea, I believe that Jesus did not want His ministry to bring exaltation to Himself, outside the calling and will of the Father who sent Him. In fact, Jesus later shared with His disciples that His "food" was "to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work" (4:34).
On His way to Galilee, the Scripture says that Jesus "had to go to Samaria" (4:4). Even though Jews did not associate the Samaritans on account of their centuries of intermarrying with non-Jewish people (even refusing to traverse the ground on which the Samaritans lived), Jesus determined to go right through the region. It was important for Jesus to demonstrate to His disciples that His salvation was not restricted to the Jewish people alone; it was for all people. During the trip, He became tired and stopped to rest at the watering hole known to be the great patriarch's (Jacob's) well in the land near Shechem. It was here that Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman with quite a checkered past. She had been married on five previous occasions and the man with whom she now lived was not her husband. The woman was quite taken back at the initiative of Jesus in talking with her, for she knew of the disdain that the Jewish people had for the Samaritans. But Jesus was determined to share with her the hope of salvation through the Living Water (Jesus Himself).
The woman did not see the significance of Jesus' statement about His providing Water to her, for she lapsed into the pragmatism of how He would get the water drawn from the well. Apparently, she expected Jesus to have His own jar or pot to draw the water and questioned Jesus' petition given His lack of supplies. She too questioned Jesus' boldness to offer Living Water, which appeared to be a statement of superiority even to the patriarch in whose name the well had been known well over a thousand years.
Jesus was not deterred in His Word to the Samaritan woman. He exclaimed that the water from Jacob's well would not bring lasting relief; however, the Water that He was able to give her would satisfy her forever. This Water was from a "spring, welling up to eternal life." The woman was intrigued. In a rather blunt exchange, she said, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Knowing that the woman was responsive to His initiatory calling to receive His Water, Jesus then addressed her sin problem. He knew that she had lived a wayward life, having been in and out of a number of relationships and most recently living with a man who was not her husband. So, when she denied that she had a husband, Jesus challenged her denial by sharing her past with her. The woman perceived Jesus to be a prophet, but He told her that salvation was coming through the Jews, and the promised Messiah was in fact He! Jesus would be the one that true worshippers would worship in spirit and in truth. He was the One in whom people would find the Water that would bring eternal life
The woman went back to the town in haste and shared with the people that Jesus had recounted her past, and she asked "Could this be the Christ?" Many of the townspeople returned to the place where Jesus was and a number of them put their faith in Him. The woman's testimony sparked an interest to the point that the people responded by seeking out this proclaimed Messiah, and when the people heard for themselves the gospel (good news) of Jesus, they believed that Jesus was indeed the Savior of the world.
This is a good word for us today. In the midst of "living water substitutes" (i.e. false religions and philosophies) that are not the way to salvation, Jesus Christ Himself has come into the world to bring the true Living Water of God's grace to those who yearn to be quenched by it. He is the source of eternal life, for it is His death and resurrection that provides the atonement for our sins. What we must do is respond like the Samaritan woman and those within her community. We must believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world. We must confess our sins against Him, and we must receive His gift of mercy offered through His own death and resurrection. We too must surrender our lives to His rightful reign over us. By this, we receive the gift of God's pardon and adoption, and we are granted eternal life. It is then that the thirst of our souls is quenched forever. Thanks be to God for His Living Water!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Trusting in God
Habakkuk 3:17-19: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."
Habakkuk lived during a time just prior to the Babylonian invasion of the region of Palestine (ca. 608BC). He had seen his fellow Israelites live in such brazen rebellion to the LORD, and yet to that point they seemed to thrive in the midst of their disobedience. Habakkuk was quite transparent in asking God how long before He would respond to the violence and wickedness of His people. Interestingly, God gave an answer to Habakkuk, though the answer did not necessarily address all of the points that Habakkuk was presenting. Still, God did answer Habakkuk with the assurance that He was in control and that He would deal with the wickedness of the Israelites through an invading nation (Babylon) that would be quite ruthless in their dealings with the people.
When Habakkuk heard the response of the Lord, he registered another concern as to why God would permit a wicked, pagan nation to prevail over God's people. To Habakkuk, it did not seem right that God's people, though deserving of judgment, should have to endure such harsh treatment at the hands of an even more debased nation like the Babylonians.
Again, God responded to the inquiry. The Lord knew of the wickedness of Babylon, for in His response to Habakkuk, the Lord declared a number of "woes" against them for their rebellion. He called out the Babylonians' greed, their desire to dominate, their atrocities of bloodshed and crime, their debauchery, and their idolatry. God wanted Habakkuk to understand that the Babylonians were not immune from God's wrath; they simply were the instruments that God would use to bring judgment upon Israel. In due time judgment would befall Babylon as well.
It was then that Habakkuk entered into a prayerful spirit of worship. He exclaimed that he was in awe of God's workings, and he petitioned the Lord to show mercy in the midst of judgment. Habakkuk too recounted the history of God's involvement with His people though the centuries. Habakkuk remembered the days of the exodus from Egypt when God displayed His might over the oppressors of His people. Habakkuk too remembered how God was faithful to deliver the Israelites from the Cushites and the Midianites . . . people whom God used to bring judgment against the Israelites only later to bring deliverance from them through His appointed judges. And it was in Habakkuk's remembrance of God's ways in the past that he was able to trust that God would be faithful again in the present. This is why Habakkuk proclaimed that He would rejoice in the covenant God who was determined to save His people. Habakkuk trusted in the sovereignty of God . . . that He was working out His plans in what otherwise seemed to be unsettling and out of control. Habakkuk was reassured that the LORD would be his strength and would help him reach grander heights than might otherwise be quite treacherous.
This is a good word for us today. How often are we perplexed by the uncertainty of events that are before us. When the winds of dismay blow against us, are we not often led to fear and disillusionment, wondering why God is permitting such events to unfold before us? In fact, we can become so despondent that we begin to question the goodness of God . . . or worse, even the existence of God. God certainly is big enough to handle our pleas for answers; still, He wants us to know that He is the same God that delivered His people in the past. Nothing catches Him by surprise or frustrates His purposes. We can trust in His strength, and through our faith, reach places that we otherwise might never have imagined we could reach . . . in His timing, through His power, and for His glory.
Habakkuk lived during a time just prior to the Babylonian invasion of the region of Palestine (ca. 608BC). He had seen his fellow Israelites live in such brazen rebellion to the LORD, and yet to that point they seemed to thrive in the midst of their disobedience. Habakkuk was quite transparent in asking God how long before He would respond to the violence and wickedness of His people. Interestingly, God gave an answer to Habakkuk, though the answer did not necessarily address all of the points that Habakkuk was presenting. Still, God did answer Habakkuk with the assurance that He was in control and that He would deal with the wickedness of the Israelites through an invading nation (Babylon) that would be quite ruthless in their dealings with the people.
When Habakkuk heard the response of the Lord, he registered another concern as to why God would permit a wicked, pagan nation to prevail over God's people. To Habakkuk, it did not seem right that God's people, though deserving of judgment, should have to endure such harsh treatment at the hands of an even more debased nation like the Babylonians.
Again, God responded to the inquiry. The Lord knew of the wickedness of Babylon, for in His response to Habakkuk, the Lord declared a number of "woes" against them for their rebellion. He called out the Babylonians' greed, their desire to dominate, their atrocities of bloodshed and crime, their debauchery, and their idolatry. God wanted Habakkuk to understand that the Babylonians were not immune from God's wrath; they simply were the instruments that God would use to bring judgment upon Israel. In due time judgment would befall Babylon as well.
It was then that Habakkuk entered into a prayerful spirit of worship. He exclaimed that he was in awe of God's workings, and he petitioned the Lord to show mercy in the midst of judgment. Habakkuk too recounted the history of God's involvement with His people though the centuries. Habakkuk remembered the days of the exodus from Egypt when God displayed His might over the oppressors of His people. Habakkuk too remembered how God was faithful to deliver the Israelites from the Cushites and the Midianites . . . people whom God used to bring judgment against the Israelites only later to bring deliverance from them through His appointed judges. And it was in Habakkuk's remembrance of God's ways in the past that he was able to trust that God would be faithful again in the present. This is why Habakkuk proclaimed that He would rejoice in the covenant God who was determined to save His people. Habakkuk trusted in the sovereignty of God . . . that He was working out His plans in what otherwise seemed to be unsettling and out of control. Habakkuk was reassured that the LORD would be his strength and would help him reach grander heights than might otherwise be quite treacherous.
This is a good word for us today. How often are we perplexed by the uncertainty of events that are before us. When the winds of dismay blow against us, are we not often led to fear and disillusionment, wondering why God is permitting such events to unfold before us? In fact, we can become so despondent that we begin to question the goodness of God . . . or worse, even the existence of God. God certainly is big enough to handle our pleas for answers; still, He wants us to know that He is the same God that delivered His people in the past. Nothing catches Him by surprise or frustrates His purposes. We can trust in His strength, and through our faith, reach places that we otherwise might never have imagined we could reach . . . in His timing, through His power, and for His glory.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Effective Leadership
I Chronicles 29:20: "Then David said to the whole assembly, 'Praise the LORD your God.'"
Reading through the final chapter of I Chronicles presents some insightful ingredients of effective leadership, demonstrated by King David just prior to his death. To be sure, David previously had great expectations of building the temple of the Lord, but the LORD came to the king and told him that he would not be the one to build the place of worship. Instead, the calling to lead the people in the constructive efforts would be David's young and inexperienced son, Solomon (I Chronicles 22).
Rather than becoming distraught that God was not commissioning him to the task that he desired to fulfill, David prepared for the appropriate transition in such a way that the will of God would be accomplished smoothly. David did not sulk in self-pity and misery at lost opportunity; instead, he saw that the purposes of God were bigger than himself (even though he was the king of Israel), and he simply wanted to be an instrument used of the Lord, no matter to what degree he was involved.
In I Chronicles 29, we find some wonderful ingredients of effective leadership by the King:
1. Leadership transparency: First, David shared with the whole assembly that his Son, was "young and inexperienced." David knew that the people would need to rally around the new king, and they would need to support him in the task to which God had called him. David didn't masquerade his son as something that he wasn't. He was honest and forthright with the people.
2. A recognition that the calling of God was a great one: Any calling of God is of tremendous importance and therefore is worthy of our greatest efforts. David did not discount the calling or trivialize it as just another activity in the people's lives. This calling was of utmost importance.
3. A clear understanding of the purpose: David knew that the temple was being constructed for God's glory. It was not for a spectacular presentation of such grandeur that the people should swell up with pride. Rather, it was for God and God alone.
4. A willingness to use his own resources: Not only did David use the national treasuries for the construction of the temple, but he also used his own personal resources for the work of the Lord.
5. The king was devoted: In I Chronicles 29:3, David states that he was devoted to this cause. He might not be the one in charge of building the temple, but he certainly was devoted to the preparations necessary to get the people ready for its construction.
6. The king rallied the people: David summoned the people and asked, "Who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?" Leadership necessitates not only mobilization but also motivation.
7. The king intentionally set aside a time for corporate prayer: David recognized that all that was being done was for God. It was important that the people would remember that God was the only One to be glorified. Therefore, David prays a prayer to God and celebrates God because He is great, He is LORD, He is everlasting, He is omnipotent, He is glorious, He is majestic, He is splendid, He is Sovereign, He is Ruler, and He is Strength. With this mindset, David could not help but be thankful to God for all of His goodness to the people of Israel.
8. David recognized that everything came from God: He wanted it to be known that the generous gifts given by the people were in fact only possible because God Himself had been gracious to His people in providing the blessings to them.
9. David understood that God tests the heart and is pleased with integrity: Just as David himself was tested with the denial of building the temple, so too he wanted the people to understand that times of testing would come from God to see what was in the people's hearts. Would they trust God? Would they follow Him even in the difficult times?
10. David expressed joy at seeing the people respond to "the cause": David was not self-consumed, being more interested in his own legacy or accomplishments. He genuinely loved the people and celebrated the collaborative efforts of all the people.
11. David loved the people: The king prayed to God pleading that He would keep the people engaged in the passionate desire of giving and loyalty. Again, the king was not disinterested in his subjects; rather, he was deeply concerned for them and wanted them to reach their fullest potential.
12. David directly called the people to praise God: Again, the king wanted the people never to lose sight of the important fact that everything that was being done was not for themselves but for God.
As leaders, called by God to His service and for His glory, let us not soon forget these principles of effective leadership; for by attuning out hearts to them and faithfully following them, we will be the effective leaders that our Lord has called us to be.
As leaders, called by God to His service and for His glory, let us not soon forget these principles of effective leadership; for by attuning out hearts to them and faithfully following them, we will be the effective leaders that our Lord has called us to be.
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