It is one thing to realize that something that needs to be done. It is another thing entirely to do it. The challenge is not identifying the solution but identifying who will do it. Somebody has to be willing to say “send me.” If we know what the need is, but are not willing to fill it, what does that say about our commitment? Our flesh is all too comfortable letting someone else step out in faith. We have to have our own faith in order to succeed. We must stop waiting for someone else to pray it down. God is not as interested in abilities as He is in availability.

Out text says, “He must needs go through Samaria.” Traveling that way was not the preferred path to where He was going. More than that, Samaria was regarded as a place to avoid, and most would have traveled across the Jordan to avoid the route that Jesus took. What was it about Samaria that caused the need and desire in God to go that way? Jesus came to a place that most people avoided, specifically to have a divine encounter with the woman at the well.

The woman who came to the well had a filthy past, and her soul was as empty as her water pot. She came to the well at noon to avoid meeting other people because she was too embarrassed by her life. She was at a place in life where all she was trying to do was survive. Jesus was waiting for her when she arrived. She discovered some things about God that day that God wants us to understand.

Out text says, “He must needs go through Samaria.” Traveling that way was not the preferred path to where He was going. More than that, Samaria was regarded as a place to avoid, and most would have traveled across the Jordan to avoid the route that Jesus took. What was it about Samaria that caused the need and desire in God to go that way? Jesus came to a place that most people avoided, specifically to have a divine encounter with the woman at the well.

The woman who came to the well had a filthy past, and her soul was as empty as her water pot. She came to the well at noon to avoid meeting other people because she was too embarrassed by her life. She was at a place in life where all she was trying to do was survive. Jesus was waiting for her when she arrived. She discovered some things about God that day that God wants us to understand.

Out text says, “He must needs go through Samaria.” Traveling that way was not the preferred path to where He was going. More than that, Samaria was regarded as a place to avoid, and most would have traveled across the Jordan to avoid the route that Jesus took. What was it about Samaria that caused the need and desire in God to go that way? Jesus came to a place that most people avoided, specifically to have a divine encounter with the woman at the well.

The woman who came to the well had a filthy past, and her soul was as empty as her water pot. She came to the well at noon to avoid meeting other people because she was too embarrassed by her life. She was at a place in life where all she was trying to do was survive. Jesus was waiting for her when she arrived. She discovered some things about God that day that God wants us to understand.

Often when reading scripture, it is difficult for the modern reader to understand the full depth of the circumstances of the event. Israel is a dry and arid land that was very dependent on the rainy seasons to provide water. When we come to scriptures about wells, many do not fully understand their importance. Most of us have never had to dig a well or have to rely on it for survival. Digging a well was a big investment in terms of time, effort, and the cost of the work. Abraham’s well was said to be seven and a half feet in diameter and was 105 feet deep. The terrain in Israel is rocky and difficult to dig. Some bible scholars believe that Abraham dug seven wells in that area. Somewhere after Abraham’s death, someone allowed those wells to come into disrepair, and the Philistines came along and filled those wells in. In our text, Issac realizes the importance of those wells and sets about to re-dig them to provide for him and his family.

There are wells in each of our lives that our ancestors dug at great effort and cost. Like Abraham’s wells, they have gone untended. If they were important to them, they should be important to us. We have to re-dig the wells that have been stopped up or neglected.

Often when reading scripture, it is difficult for the modern reader to understand the full depth of the circumstances of the event. Israel is a dry and arid land that was very dependent on the rainy seasons to provide water. When we come to scriptures about wells, many do not fully understand their importance. Most of us have never had to dig a well or have to rely on it for survival. Digging a well was a big investment in terms of time, effort, and the cost of the work. Abraham’s well was said to be seven and a half feet in diameter and was 105 feet deep. The terrain in Israel is rocky and difficult to dig. Some bible scholars believe that Abraham dug seven wells in that area. Somewhere after Abraham’s death, someone allowed those wells to come into disrepair, and the Philistines came along and filled those wells in. In our text, Issac realizes the importance of those wells and sets about to re-dig them to provide for him and his family.

There are wells in each of our lives that our ancestors dug at great effort and cost. Like Abraham’s wells, they have gone untended. If they were important to them, they should be important to us. We have to re-dig the wells that have been stopped up or neglected.

Often when reading scripture, it is difficult for the modern reader to understand the full depth of the circumstances of the event. Israel is a dry and arid land that was very dependent on the rainy seasons to provide water. When we come to scriptures about wells, many do not fully understand their importance. Most of us have never had to dig a well or have to rely on it for survival. Digging a well was a big investment in terms of time, effort, and the cost of the work. Abraham’s well was said to be seven and a half feet in diameter and was 105 feet deep. The terrain in Israel is rocky and difficult to dig. Some bible scholars believe that Abraham dug seven wells in that area. Somewhere after Abraham’s death, someone allowed those wells to come into disrepair, and the Philistines came along and filled those wells in. In our text, Issac realizes the importance of those wells and sets about to re-dig them to provide for him and his family.

There are wells in each of our lives that our ancestors dug at great effort and cost. Like Abraham’s wells, they have gone untended. If they were important to them, they should be important to us. We have to re-dig the wells that have been stopped up or neglected.

There were two kinds of shields in Roman armies. One was small and easily carried and used in hand-to-hand battle. The other was much larger, perhaps even four feet tall, that would allow a line of soldiers to mount an offense against an enemy behind a wall of protection. The word Paul used to describe the shield of faith was that larger shield. When most people think about faith, they think about an overcoming, aggressive faith. Paul is talking about a different aspect of faith: the protecting faith that casts a wall of protection across the whole life. However, when we read about the life of Paul, we are hard-pressed to conclude that his faith protected him. He suffered shipwreck, beatings, hunger, and many other things. Brother Hughes revealed that Paul’s faith was not to protect him from things but to protect him while he was in things. Faith does not keep us from problems but will protect us while we are in problems. Faith empowered us to bear the struggles and strive in life and encourages us to go on.

There were two kinds of shields in Roman armies. One was small and easily carried and used in hand-to-hand battle. The other was much larger, perhaps even four feet tall, that would allow a line of soldiers to mount an offense against an enemy behind a wall of protection. The word Paul used to describe the shield of faith was that larger shield. When most people think about faith, they think about an overcoming, aggressive faith. Paul is talking about a different aspect of faith: the protecting faith that casts a wall of protection across the whole life. However, when we read about the life of Paul, we are hard-pressed to conclude that his faith protected him. He suffered shipwreck, beatings, hunger, and many other things. Brother Hughes revealed that Paul’s faith was not to protect him from things but to protect him while he was in things. Faith does not keep us from problems but will protect us while we are in problems. Faith empowered us to bear the struggles and strive in life and encourages us to go on.

There were two kinds of shields in Roman armies. One was small and easily carried and used in hand-to-hand battle. The other was much larger, perhaps even four feet tall, that would allow a line of soldiers to mount an offense against an enemy behind a wall of protection. The word Paul used to describe the shield of faith was that larger shield. When most people think about faith, they think about an overcoming, aggressive faith. Paul is talking about a different aspect of faith: the protecting faith that casts a wall of protection across the whole life. However, when we read about the life of Paul, we are hard-pressed to conclude that his faith protected him. He suffered shipwreck, beatings, hunger, and many other things. Brother Hughes revealed that Paul’s faith was not to protect him from things but to protect him while he was in things. Faith does not keep us from problems but will protect us while we are in problems. Faith empowered us to bear the struggles and strive in life and encourages us to go on.