Journey to the never dried-up well #4

Welcome. This is our fourth stop, and as I look over our journey, something emerges.

When we encounter Jesus: each time you read, pause, go away to a 'closet' place to be -- Jesus steps out from our hazy ideas to a become a solid, real Presence and Person who has much to offer our hungry, thirsty hearts.

word & truth

Our first stop was a well, a most natural spot to quench our thirst.
In John 4, we have a record of a woman who went to a physical well and met the Spring of Living Water himself. Her story shows us the transforming power of a heart-set-free: she had come to the well at noon to avoid the town gossips, to just get her water and go. Her life was far from alright; she has been in a string of relationships where rejection and desertion has been the theme {over the years, I have met many women who indeed live with such themes. So real-ly painful}.

Yet -

after Jesus reaches into her heart, she leaves that well and announces to her fellow villagers - the same people she wants to avoid - that "he told me everything about my life".  What a strange thing to say. Unlike anything or anyone she has ever met or known, Jesus' chat with her was so filled with truth and acceptance that she felt he embraced her life so that now her story is no longer one that needs to be hidden.

Jesus helped her see her life in a whole new light; so that she is now able to claim her life and be at peace with it. Her life is not a fearful, foregone conclusion, but a faith-refreshed, forward possibility.

She found the water that reached deep into her parched, desperate soul.  As she is deeply refreshed, it begins to spring forth to refresh others ~

"Come see a man who told me all the things that I have done, this is not the Christ is it?"

John 4v29

your truth

How has this journey been? I am recently keenly aware that my questions and struggles signal that there are bits of my life I am not at peace with. 

Perhaps you too need not fear taking your long list of pains, regrets and questions to Jesus. You may even beat about the bush like the woman at the well did; talking about history and theology...but Jesus will lovingly and firmly lead the conversation to its heart. 

At some point, when we get to our desperation and humbly acknowledge it, "give me this water.." Jesus may well ask us the one question that cuts through everything and lifts the fog -- so we can see why peace escapes us.

We can then gaze long into the eyes of the Prince of peace and feel his peace flood our beings, our sense of confidence, worth, and destiny refreshed...and indeed, long to refresh others.

more truth with community

As you take time these few days to sit with Jesus, anticipate refreshment! Please share your experience with us. We would be so encouraged to hear your story!

Journey to the never-dried-up well #3

Welcome. Our basic format is:

The Word

I will be writing the reflections based on Scripture. You will need to read the scripture and let it sink it over the few days. This is a great way to know the Word better, deeper.

Truth

As you look over the reflections and let the Holy Spirit of truth lead you, God will take your hand to look at your life through his eyes. It will be 40 days of coming to know yourself better – through God’s eyes of love, compassion and freedom-bringing truth.

Your truth

Consider how Jesus is drawing you to the Well to drink...and take steps...

More with God's people

We are all encouraged by fellow travelers; so may I urge you to write short notes in the comment. Sometimes a comment by a fellow Christian can really lift us up. This way you will also realize that there are others on this journey too. 

Now, for these next few days ~

The Word

We were last at a real well, retold to us in John 4, where Jesus offered living water. The next few days let us hang out with Jesus as he walks the shoreline of lake Galilee and teach in her towns. 

Jesus' heart is heavy for the hard-heartedness of the people. Yet as quickly as he identifies and lament their true spiritual condition, his heart swells up with compassion and he raises his voice to say,

Are you tired? Worn out?

Come to me, 

all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads,

and I will give you rest

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

~ matthew 11v28-29

Truth

I am guessing you blew out a tired breath, and readily agreed, 'yes, I am tired Lord!'. 

Really, I have not met a soul who would say 'no'. 

We live in a soul-weary world. 

All the great beauty, lofty ideas and grand vistas fade away soon enough. Our soul needs a constant feast, and no one has time or resource for that.

All the happiness and ecstasy we may taste fade away soon enough too. Our soul needs a constant spring of intimacy and hope.

Into such a stark and dry landscape, Jesus stands up and offers us rest, rest for our souls.

Your truth
But sometimes, soul-weariness is already wired in us. We have gotten so used to it. 
Our minds are choked with sound bytes and idea-bits and datelines.
Our emotions are whirling with the temperature and the temptations.
Our wills are tussling with what we want and what we ought and more.

Rest sounds like a distant, unfamiliar thing, an impossibility even.

What then? 

Jesus simply says, 'come'.

Today, and in the next few days, can you schedule an appointment to go to Him? To show up - and then see...what happens...

it may be the dark quiet of the wee hours
it may be a lunch break
it may be stopping the car or getting off the ride and just sitting somewhere for ten minutes
it may be going to bed earlier, except you are not there to sleep


and if music helps to get you going, perhaps Jeremy Riddle's Full Attention --

a song to arrest your heart for Jesus

What does your soul need more of? 
What can it do less with? 

Jesus speaks of a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light -- for His strength in us. 
Strength we must soak up from Him. 
Strength that doesn't get sapped by our heavy-laden souls. Lighten your soul. Wrap it around the Saviour who alone can make us sing, 'it is well with my soul'.

more - with God's people
O share, share what you are willing to. Cracking open your heart can bring life to others. [write in the comments below or send me an email if you prefer doing that, bless you].

Journey to the never-dried-up well #2

Our journey coincides with a season known as Lent. It is a forty-day period when we look inwards for signs of new life and symptoms of anti-life. Yes, we are a work in progress, and often the trajectory is anything but straight! 

We will sight Grace and Hope and the fruit of the Spirit. We will also see traces of dark, and shadows. Our normal human tendency is to avoid the latter. But Christ's finished work on the Cross means we no longer fear the dark side. Our goal however is not to clean ourselves up to be good enough or dwell on our sins. 

Our focus in on the new life - the hope of Resurrection which we will celebrate at the end - on Easter. Yet, the defining lines of Grace upon our lives takes on bold relief when it is contrasted with the dark. This seeing leads us to dig deeper into gratitude and greater dependence upon God who alone saves.

When this idea gently landed upon my heart late 2013, it was clear that our focus this season had to be Jesus. He who came to offer us life; and lived on earth so we can see how life ought to be lived.


Let us begin.

The Word {read and listen with your heart}

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink', you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water....whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst..."

~ Jesus at a well, John 4 [NASB}

If you know, you would ask, he would give.

Doesn't this mean that -

We do not have because we do not ask.

And that, we do not ask, because we do not know.

What is it that we fail to know? 

Truth {...wait for it}

I am thirsty. I am guessing you are too. That's pretty normal. The conditions are dry. The world promises to slake out thirst and feed our appetites but we have found that what we drink dehydrates and what we eat are actually appetite suppressants. After all, Truth, grace and love; faith, hope and joy aren't the things that get celebrated this side of heaven.

Just so far in 2014, what wind has whipped your sails? What words spoken, and left unsaid, has left you tired and feeling forgotten?

Perhaps you have even tried a few wells; dug one or two yourself.

How can we connect what we need to KNOW and what we ASK then?  What blocks us from knowing, and so, from asking?

Your truth {own your life and offer it back to God}

Sometimes it can get hard to ask God. We needed the solutions yesterday. Our bosses and children are not going to wait forever. 

I have found very often that I totally skipped the asking. So I miss the drink -the water that refreshes, hydrates, enlivens us. We try to do life half-dead really. 

Drag that bag of drying bones over to the Well, now. {i speak to myself, and yes, to you dear friend!}

Jesus stands before you and me, and asks, "hey, look up, look at me. You forgot to ask me. For if you knew God's gift you would ask and you would receive..."

Look up. Look at God's gift right now standing before you. Look at him looking back at you. Look.
Then, 
Ask. Go on, ask for a drink. 

{and i won't be surprised if you linger around, he will throw in a friendly chat that may surprise you further!}

Connect with God’s people

leave a note of encouragement, a Q, an insight in the comment below.

Perhaps a song: Be not afraid