For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
John 4
What can you learn from the story of Jesus and the woman at the well about having spiritual conversations with others? “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” (Jn. 4:39a). That statement surprises me. This woman was an outcast. This is evident because she has a fairly sordid history, was living with a man she was not married to, and was coming to draw water by herself at noon, in the heat of the day, rather than in the cool morning with all the other woman. So why, when she came charging into town blabbering some nonsense about a man at the well, did people listen?
They must have instantly seen a change in her. Perhaps, because of her shame, she kept to herself by her own will and didn’t typically interact with others. Or perhaps society forced her to be an outcast because of the stigma of her lifestyle. Either way, the very fact that she was freely interacting with any and everybody she saw no doubt got their attention. Then again, maybe their hearts were ready for her simple message of hope. Perhaps they, more than their Jewish counterparts, had been eagerly awaiting the Messiah. The woman’s words to Jesus indicate that this is a possibility. And in that case, maybe they would have believed anybody with the message they were longing to hear.
Whatever the case, I have to admire both the woman’s bold outreach and the people’s appropriate response to hearing the truth. She overcame the pain of her shame and rejection to bring people who likely weren’t even civil to her to life. And they set aside any prejudices they might have had to take action. They welcomed her message with open hearts and then they went and checked it out for themselves. Bold love and discerning faith. God grant me more of both!
Jonah 1-2
Have you ever run from God? Run from something He called you to do? How does Jonah’s prayer show a change of heart? Rebellion against God is never a good thing. It only leads to trouble, sometimes for others as well as yourself. That being said, I notice that through Jonah’s rebellious act, a ship full of sailors had a life changing encounter with God. I don’t point this out to suggest that maybe Jonah did the right thing, or that our actions don’t matter. I will say again, rebellion against God is never good. What this story reinforces for me, though, is the truth that God can and does use our biggest mess ups and mistakes for His glory. While I would much rather avoid straying off God’s path, it is reassuring to know that I cannot mess up badly enough that God can’t turn it into something good.