Rest at the Well

John 4:5- 26

The woman at the well.  But do we stop to consider Jesus at the well? Jesus came and sat by the well, hot and tired and hungry.  It was noon in an extremely hot part of the world.  He moved around on foot.  There was no air conditioned way to travel. No wheels to take Him where He needed to go. The Amplified Bible says He was weary from His journey. The Son of Man, tired and spent. Oh can we relate?  The ins and outs. The ups and downs of life. The burdens, challenges, issues, pain and trials.  Jesus knows. He has been there.  He has been here! 

And so He came to the well.  A perfect metaphor for us....He came and sat down for a rest...by the well. Our Savior needed a break.  So don't we?  We need to be wary of our addiction to busyness, our need to be needed, to be relevant, our desire to fix things, our desire to make all things right, for everyone.  Our need to play god.  We need to stop sometimes. Often actually. We need to come and sit. Rest. We were made to drink from the well.  We need to go to the Rivers of Living Water and drink deeply and knowing that He has us in the shelter of His wings.

So as He sits there, the woman comes.  They engage.  He asks her to serve Him a cup of water (oh the irony there-Him asking her for water); He begins to use the moment to reveal Himself to her. Just a day like every other day. The Son of God came to her and turned her life upside down.  The mercy and grace of God. He begins to speak of water that exists, a spring from within, of refreshing, satisfying living water. Again the amplified: water  that flows, bubbles up, continuing unto eternal life. Forever. Clear, pure, cool, refreshing, satisfying, thirst quenching water.

I love verse 10 where He says, "If you had only known and had recognized God's gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink you would have asked Him instead and He would have given you living water."

Do I recognize God's gift when He comes to me? Do I come to Him? Do I ask?  Do I want the living water? Or do I just want my prayers answered, my life sorted out, things to do that seem fulfilling, at least for the moment. It is Him my heart longs for.  It is Him that over-rides  the things that plague my heart and mind.  It is Him that truly satisfies with purity and clarity.  It is with Him that my heart rests and is restored.

Her thirst revealed she cries out, "SIR! Give me this water!!"  Demanding.  The need in us is so great.        That is me.

So LORD, I come to You. I lay at your feet all that concerns Me. Thank you that I can rest by the well when I am weary. Thank You that as I come to You, You bubble from within as Your Spirit leads and guides. Thank you that my heart is secure and safe.  Thank You that I can worship You and know that You Are The One Who came...to/for me.