To Know, To Experience, and To Widen the Circle of Grace


 

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. " (John 4:10) 


The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he." (John 4:25,26) 


So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"(John 4:29) 


They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:42) 

The Samaritan woman did not realize at first what a great Gift was speaking to her. She didn’t know who Jesus was—the very Source of living water. However, she did know that the Messiah was coming; she had hope and was waiting for Him.

When Jesus connected her small bit of knowledge with a direct, personal experience, she finally realized who He was. She could not hide that sacred moment of discovery. She left her water jar—everything she had for her earthly thirst—and ran to share the Good News with others. Amazingly, the townspeople also came to know who Jesus was by spending two days with Him. They eventually told her, "We believe now for ourselves, not just because of what you said." Knowing God had spread to a larger circle. What a great joy!

Sometimes, we don’t recognize the gifts God gives us. We fail to see them as gifts at all. However, with a listening ear and a humble heart, we come to recognize His hand. To know God in every single moment, and to have His living water available at all times, is a true blessing.

When we have even a little knowledge, God teaches us how it works in our lives. When our small understanding meets a sacred experience, that knowledge transforms our entire life. We cannot help but share this joy with others. And as we share, we see them come to know God personally for themselves. Soon, we will all share this wonderful gift together!

Yesterday, we had a combined SPRC meeting. We cried and shared all kinds of feelings: anger, sadness, confusion, and fear. However, through these raw experiences, God guided us to know Him more deeply. Now, we share this Good News with everyone. We want them to meet their own God, so that we can all share this wonderful gift in an ever-widening circle.

I feel both an obligation and a privilege to show my people what love is, what faith is, and who we are as Christians. I thank God for teaching us these lessons through our four beloved church families!

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