Q2. Spiritual Thirst

[Godswriter]

Q2. (John 4:9-15) Jesus’ words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? What caused her deep thirst to surface? What does this teach us about our own witness?

My experience has been one of a constant and consistent thirst that I have filled with other things besides God for years. I also have learned through being an addict that I need to be close to the Lord continually. Knowing that only time with Him is the answer to my thirst. Yes she does very thirsty in fact. What Jesus told her brought it to the surface. That we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit calls us to do.

[newwine50]

Q2. (John 4:9-15) Jesus' words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience?  I believe all people are spiritually thirsty but are satisfying their thirst with things that don't satisfy, just as the woman at the well was. 

Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point?  Yes.  As the song says she's been looking for love in all the wrong places. 

What caused her deep thirst to surface?  Jesus showing up.  The thirst has always been there, but when He shows up, He has what she has needed. 

What does this teach us about our own witness? We need to lead people to Jesus who can give them living water.  That is their greatest need.  

[theoldveteran]

On 8/7/2014 at 2:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q2. (John 4:9-15) Jesus’ words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? What caused her deep thirst to surface? What does this teach us about our own witness?

(1) It seems that people used to be more thirsty for salvation and freedom from the sins that burdened them, but in today's culture, it seems that they are more thirsty for riches, sex, and power, and running from the Word of God.

(2)  I believe that she is!

(3) It surfaced when He pointed out how many husbands she has had and that she is living in sin with a man who isn't her husband

(4) That we're to live lives that are Holy and blameless, so that our witness is without fault.

[Rosesam]

 Q2. (John 4:9-15) Jesus’ words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? What caused her deep thirst to surface? What does this teach us about our own witness?

It’s been said that when God created mankind, He put in him a God-sized vacuum that cannot be filled up with anything or anyone but by only God. So all are spiritually thirsty. But what people to do is to fill this vacuum with other things and try to find satisfaction, but soon realize that those things wouldn’t satisfy them. So they replace it with other things to see whether it would fill up the vacuum and this goes on until some realize their need for God and surrender their lives to Him.

When the gospel was introduced I was drawn to Him and later on I realized God had foreknew me in His eternal plan and I am so grateful to Him for that.

The woman seem to think that Jesus is speaking of the literal water and not the spiritual water. In Jewish minds, probably Samaritan minds too, they equate living water with flowing water. Stagnant water was considered to be dead water. So when Jesus spoke of living water, she is thinking in terms of material, physical water, when Jesus was, in fact, speaking of the eternal, spiritual realm.

Jesus found something to approve of in the woman at first by saving, “You said well”. He shows grace and truth and that’s how He works with me too. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world. This speaks of His grace. Yet, because He cannot wink at sin, there should be conviction of sin, before receiving salvation. So, He always speaks the truth. Jesus spoke to her, revealing her sin, but not reveling in it, caused her to expand in her knowledge of Him. At first, she realized that He is a prophet and then slowly she realized that He is the Messiah. Slowly, her deepest need for Him began to surface.

We should be graceful to the people to whom we share the gospel. It may take time for conviction of their sin and the need of the Savior to surface in their life, for it is the Spirit who brings about that conviction.

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q2. (John 4:9-15)

1.    Jesus' words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? My experience is that, in the natural we thirst, we get dehydrated and we feel the physical sensation and are able to express our feeling of thirst and our desire to quench it, and we proceed to do so. In the spiritual realm it is different. Those who thirst are unaware of it. They just go through an emptiness of life, pursuing the pleasures of this world in an attempt to reach satisfaction which eludes them because it is the wrong prescription. In the spiritual the prescription or thirst quencher has to come from an outside source familiar with the living water as Jesus came to the Samaritan woman.

2.     Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? The woman seems to be spiritually thirsty at this point, finding herself compelled to stay and continue to listen to Jesus.

3.     What caused her deep thirst to surface? Jesus patiently engaged her in an interactive sermon at the well enlightening her about the good news.

4.    What does this teach us about our own witness? It teaches us that we should be ready to share the Word of God irrespective of our bodily condition, wherever we are and with whomever.  It further teaches us that we should not allow ourselves to consider other people as unworthy of our sharing the Gospel with them.

[Jonathan Edwards]

I love  this Gospel story. Yes, I need the touch of Christ everyday.  Deep in my heart, I know I need to seek the Face of God each day.   I have not arrived to full sanctity yet.   Worship of God with the heart is essential.   Running here and there, going through religious activities without heart devotion are not going to cut it.

My experience started at a very young age before school.  My first birthday gift I requested was a picture of Jesus Christ.  I remember my Mother reading from a child's Bible to me and my 4th grade teacher reading Psalm 23.  In 1970, I went forward to the altar at the NY Billy Graham Crusade.

Yes, the Samaritan woman was ready to hear the Gospel.   She was at a point of deep frustration in her life.  There was angst in her heart; an emptiness that slowly creeps up in the stillness of the night.   Jesus Christ was able to get her to realize that the Kingdom of God has arrived!   In the midst of her dark night, God's grace has now appeared!  Christ had the gift of knowledge, He knew the issues that this woman was going through.  Imagine!   No one sent her to a seminary nor to the pastor's office nor to a Christain rock concert...she just ready to meet the Master. 

Her deep thirst started when Christ revealed her past to her.  Christ lovingly ministered to her on her level.  Amazing indeed!   Words cannot express the way Christ would speak to individuals.   Prophet Ezekiel was caught up in the Spirit; Christ lovingly made breakfast for His disciples; St Paul got knock off his horse and a mighty vision.

We must be prepared to give thoughtful answers to those who inquire of us.   In the New Testament,  we read that the evangelist must be ready in season and out of season; meekness of the servant of God is essential.  We need the anointing of God before we embark on any apostolic venture.  A great man of God, St Philopater Mercurios was in the Roman army and well respected by the Emperor.  He was ready to give reason for the Hope that dwelt in him.

[Daniel R]

1. Jesus' Words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience?

My experience has been that all people are indeed spiritually thirsty. Whether they realize it or not is a different story, but we are all spiritually thirsty and lost, in desperate need of Living Water! I say this because I myself never really recognized that I was spiritually thirsty until one day when the Holy Spirit began working in me and showed me just how in need of Living Water I was!

2. Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point?

The woman does not seem that spiritually thirsty at this point because she doesn't even try to take in what Jesus said. She just wonders why a Jewish Rabbi is talking to her, a SAMARITAN and a WOMAN, and how Jesus can give her water with which she will never thirst again.

3. What caused her deep thirst to surface?

Her deep thirst for Living Water was surfaced by her deep thirst for physical water and by the love Jesus, a Jew, showed to her, when all her fellow Samaritans rejected her treated her terribly and shamefully.

4. What does this teach us about our own witness? 

This teaches us that we need to be loving towards others, no matter the case, when we are spreading the Good News with somebody and that we need to try and relate to whoever we're spreading the Gospel with so that they could really understand and have their hidden spiritual thirst surfaced. We also need to be gentle with them and listen for cues from them that we could then build on, not just push the whole Gospel on them at once!!!

 

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

[Irmela]

(John 4:9-15)

Jesus' words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty.

What has been your experience?

Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point?

What caused her deep thirst to surface?

What does this teach us about our own witness?

I do agree. Each and everyone is thirsty as soon as we get a taste of what Jesus offers. It might get pushed aside but that is GUILT having its way. 

Yes, the woman does seem thirsty. 

Jesus gently prods her into seeing her need. He uses what she 'opens' to provide more until she opens up completely. 

This teaches us to work with what is given us, by the ones we witness to. 

When counselling women who wanted to kill their unborn babies, it was also what they opened up about that we used to share further with. If they opened up and said, they used to read the Bible. We could use that point and ask them what the Bible said about fornication, adultery, murder etc. 

We do need to follow the Holy Spirit's leading.