In review of John 4:10 it says, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
Bottom Line:
Jesus answered, you don’t know what wonderful gift God wants to give you. If you knew who it was that is saying this you would ask me to give you the life-giving water.
What this means to me:
God has a wonderful gift to give me. It is the water that gives life and it comes from following Jesus as Lord and leader of my life. It’s important for me to remember this always and to pass it onto those who are part of my life.
Currently there are TV and radio waves all around me. With a tuner, I can see what’s on those waves. But just because I can’t see them doesn't mean they aren't real. I’m just not tuned in.
That’s what it it must have been like in Bethlehem on the night of the first Christmas. Despite the fact that Bethlehem had an inn with the sole purpose of taking care of travelers, there was no room in that inn for undoubtedly the most significant family of travelers in Bethlehem that night.
This Christmas, I need to make sure that I don’t miss an important parallel of this story to my own heart. My heart was made to hold God. I was made by God and for God. Until I fully grasp this, life will never make sense. Unfortunately, I can easily fill my life with other things. I can crowd out the Inn to my heart. As my wife and myself invite other guests into our homes, our hearts can be filled with other ideas, interests, values, loves, and commitments.
Also, my life can be so full that I’m not even aware when Jesus shows up around me. God shows up in my life all the time, providing opportunities I’d never thought I would get, in the midst of problems I didn't know I was going to have. But often, I just don’t see him.
This happened in the Bible all the time. Jesus would show up and talk to people who never realized who he was. In the book of John, Jesus was sitting by a well when a woman came up to him, looking for water. She didn't recognize Jesus. In fact she got in a religious debate with the Son of God! Then Jesus said, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water” (John 4:10 NLT). But the woman didn't recognize Jesus.
God is at work all around me; not just during Christmas but also throughout the whole year. If I’m not tuned in, it is possible that I will miss him.
I know from my own experience that I can get so involved in what’s taking place in my life that significant dates of remembrance such as Christmas and Easter can come quickly and I forget to stop and focus on Him. At my house we can get so involved with preparations that we can miss key times to just slow down and thank God for all he has done for us this year and for how we know he will work in our lives in the future.
In this past few weeks, I've seen how God has helped me to accomplish a long sought after goal (completing my bachelor’s degree), helped my son-in-law and daughter with a new job opportunity that will enable them to build for their family. This year, I have also seen how God has healed both myself and my wife.
This week, I will try to focus each day on the significance of Jesus coming to earth and testifying to the truth and showing us the way.
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