LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Thursday 29th May 2025
WHERE IS THE LIVING WATER?
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where, then, do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” John 4:11–12
Like Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman misunderstood Jesus’ terminologies. In the case of Nicodemus, when Jesus mentioned being ‘born again’, he asked whether a person had to re-enter his mother’s womb to be ‘born again’.
Here was Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman about spiritual water; yet she interpreted His words to mean literal water. Therefore, the woman was more concerned about how He would obtain the water than simply asking Him to give her a drink of the spiritual water.
From this encounter, we get to appreciate how easily people confuse material things with spiritual things. The people we share the Gospel with may not understand all of our Christian terminologies. After people have been in church for a while, they develop a church vocabulary. Terms like ‘accept Christ’, ‘born again’, ‘sinner’s prayer’ and ‘altar call’ may be familiar to many Christians but they are easily misunderstood by others.
In sharing the Gospel, we must help people to understand the words we use to describe our spiritual experiences.
In addition to misunderstanding Jesus, the Samaritan woman was also concerned about whether Jesus was greater than Jacob and the well she had known all her life. She thought Jesus was less than Jacob and she challenged his assertions about Himself. Of course, Jesus was far more significant than Jacob—and greater than the well itself!
Again, Jesus did not take offence at the challenge from the woman of Samaria. Sometimes in sharing the gospel with others, they may challenge you, question your faith or say something you may easily find offensive. Some may say something hurtful about Jesus, the Bible, your church or your pastor.
Like Jesus, we must respond to such challenges with love and compassion. When we share the gospel, we must be mindful that what is at stake is a person’s eternal destiny. We must not see it as a contest for superiority or importance.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me supernatural love for people. Help me not to be offended when they resist your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
