Thought for July 5

 History:

• 1687: Principia by Isaac Newton published--laws of motion and gravitation
• 1841: Thomas Cook opens the first travel agency
• 1852: Frederick Douglas delivers his speech, "What to the slave is the Fourth of July"
• 1935: FDR signs National Labor Relations Act
• 1937: Spam luncheon meat introduced by Hormel
• 1942: Ian Fleming graduates from spy school in Canada
• 1975: Arthur Ashe is first African American to win Wimbledon
• 1989: Pilot episode of Seinfeld airs
• 1994: Amazon founded
• 2003: SARS declared contained after affecting 26 countries--774 deaths
• Born: David Farragut [Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead], PT Barnum, Cecil Rhodes, Dolly the Sheep [cloned], AE Douglass [invented dendrochronology, tree-ring dating], Warren Oates, Edie Falco, Megan Rapinoe, 
• Died: Ted Williams, Harry James [bandleader], 

Thought:

Continuing my look at John 4 and Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Jesus is sitting at the well as His disciples go into town to buy food. It has been a long walk and He is thirsty. A woman comes with her container for water. She has walked half a mile from Sychar. Apparently there is no one else at the well. A divine appointment. How simple a conversation:

• Jesus--give me a drink.
• Woman--are you a Jewish man asking me a Samaritan woman for a drink? 
• Jesus--if you only knew about God's gift and who is asking you, you would be asking Him for a drink--and His water is living water. 

The first thing I see is Jesus initiating the conversation. Jesus loved us first and He comes to us knocking at our heart's door wanting to come in. Amazing--the God of all creation wants to initiate a conversation with me. The One who knows all and has all authority and all power wants to talk to me. Its like going to the phone and hearing the President would like to talk to you, or the Queen is calling will you speak to her? But so much more. Think about that--all day, every day, the Lord is trying to speak to you, start a conversation. And we act a little like the woman---we say later, I'm busy, or maybe I can talk as long as I pick the topic. 

The second thing I see is that Jesus did not get into a conversation about her status or His, their gender or nationality. He immediately went to the point of the meeting. If you only knew---think about that. How many times have we used that phrase---if you only knew how much I care or love you; if you only knew how hurt I am; if you only knew the dreams I had for us. Here the Savior of the world comes to say--if you only knew about God's free gift, by grace alone through Christ alone eternal life is waiting. The price is paid. All you need to do is say yes. And the one speaking is that gift. Reminds me of the hymn, "if you'll take one step toward the Master my friend, you'll find His arms open wide." 

The third thing I see is that the gift is living water. I think about Psalm 42--as the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, O God. And then I think about the picture in Revelation of the water flowing from the throne of God--the water of life, clear as crystal from which we can drink forever. 

Today, Jesus wants to talk, He has a gift, a gift that will always satisfy. Don't miss His call. 

Blessings

Larry