Pursued by God by Joseph Prince
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=205507&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Joseph Prince
But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." John 4:4–7 I encourage you to read the remarkable story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. Considered a woman with a shady past, she was gossiped about in her village and probably shunned for being a home wrecker, a "stealer of husbands."
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But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." John 4:4–7
I encourage you to read the remarkable story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. Considered a woman with a shady past, she was gossiped about in her village and probably shunned for being a home wrecker, a "stealer of husbands." Now, hers is not a fictional story. She was a real person, just like you and me. Her problems and pain, like many of ours, were real and hounded her every day…until she encountered a very real Savior!
Despite the custom of the Jews of that day to avoid any contact with the Samaritans, whom they perceived as spiritually inferior, John records that as Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee, "He hadto go through Samaria" (John 4:4, NLT, emphasis mine).
Pause with me and think about these words for a moment: Had to. Needed to. Must. Words that speak not just of necessity, but underscore a steady resolve and even urgency! Jesus had deliberately scheduled a divine appointment with the woman at the well, though she knew nothing about it.
We know from the account that this ostracized, lonely woman had a life-transforming conversation with Jesus at the well. But make no mistake, it wasn't she who sought out Jesus to talk to Him. It was the Savior who pursued the one whom others shunned. Do you know that He is still doing that today?
Do you have a past that you are ashamed of? Are you struggling to overcome something that you know is destroying you? Do you feel all alone and that no one understands the pain you are going through?
I want you to know that Jesus hasn't changed. As He was for the Samaritan woman, the loving Savior is still your very present help in your time of need (see Ps. 46:1). He knows the suffering, shame, and struggles you are going through right now. And even if what you are going through is a consequence of bad life choices and mistakes of your own doing, He doesn't abandon and forsake you. No, a thousand times, no! He goes out of the way to have a personal appointment with you, to restore and rescue you. The fact that you are reading this right now is a confirmation that Jesus is reaching out to you with His love, grace, and forgiveness.
Talk to Him as the woman did. Taste and touch His grace and compassion for you as she did. And like her, discover Jesus' forgiveness, freedom, and strength to walk into a bright new future.
Joseph Prince
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"O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?" 2 Chronicles 20:6 When faced with what appeared to be certain destruction, King Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord. Today's scripture is part of his prayer. Note that instead of rehashing his fears to the Lord and lamenting about how overpowered by their enemies their small tribe was, Jehoshaphat centered his prayer and thoughts on just how big and powerful his God truly is.
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"Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it." Numbers 23:20 Take time to reread today's scripture. They are precious words, and they reveal how God sees you and me today. They were spoken by a prophet named Balaam, who had been hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to invoke a curse to drive his enemy, the Israelites, from his territory. However, when Balaam opened his mouth to curse, blessings from God flowed out upon the Israelites instead (Num. 23:21–24)!
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Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength....For he shall be like a shrub in the desert and shall not see when good comes. Jeremiah 17:5–6 One of the saddest things about a man who trusts in his strengths and self-efforts—"who ....makes flesh his strength"—is that he cannot see good when it comes his way. As a pastor, I have seen, down through the years, people who don't put their trust in the Lord when it comes to their marriages, finances, and other areas of weakness. They are determined to trust in their own efforts and tend to be rather arrogant and frustrated with the people around them.