Break Room

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
John 4:13-15(ESV)

I am not sure I have ever related so much to a story in the bible than of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. It just so happens that the sermon Pastor Aram spoke on today, mixed in with this, opened my eyes as to how far Jesus has taken me since I decided to break free from myself.

“Jesus loves you where you are but wants to move you somewhere else.”-Pastor Aram

Before Pastor Aram read through John 4 he let us know that most people would bypass or go around Samaria. Jesus went straight through it. Aren’t you happy that we serve a God that goes straight to our problems, sin, and shame rather than bypass us?

Have you ever been so emotionally, physically, or mentally abused that you turn to something that you think might “fix” it? Our flesh finds temporary relief in relationships, drugs, hobbies, jobs, children, and even food. We find anything we can to curb the hunger and ease the pain, even if it only last a moment.

My own vice was like this Samartian woman at the well. I tried so hard to find myself through love, through relationship, and boys (because let’s be honest, none of them were men). Even after I had my daughter I searched hard for someone to replace her “father” not ever realizing all I needed was the ultimate Father in my life to fix me first. It took some harsh illness to overtake my body before I ever realized my temporary fix was only hurting me (and my daughter) worse than ever. Christ healed me through prayer and my heart slowly began to heal from all the hurt. Did you know that a broken bone heals and becomes stronger than the surrounding bone? At least thats what a google search confirmed. We can become even stronger after being broken but only if we heal correctly.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
-Psalms 147:3 (ESV)

My healing miracle of health may have been immediate; however, my ultimate healing took years. It took opening His word daily to strengthen my heart. It took writing all my sins and wrongs on a sheet of a paper and praying over them. It took burning that same sheet as a reminder to me that those things are dead and no longer alive in me. It has taken prayer, constant, daily, hourly prayer. It has taken humility, it has taken forgiveness, it has taken tears and sorrow. It has taken serving, being served, reaping and sewing.

At first it all seemed like a walk in the park, but then the enemy came in swinging with a vengeance like he always does, but this time I was different. I had the sword of the Lord and the full armor of God protecting my choices and my mind was led with wisdom and not weakness. My heart was led with love and not lust. My smile was full of joy and not masked with who I wanted to be but who God chose me to be. I was whole, complete, and lacking nothing. By placing God as the man in my life; he then placed me exactly where I needed to be and who I needed in it. He gave me the strength and courage to see people in my life that needed to go and habits that slowly became things of the past. He transformed every part of me because I chose Him above all else and have to do so daily.

He was broken so you and I could be made whole. Once we become saved we need to make a choice to let him really save us. The words uttered cannot just be words but must be a covenant between you and God. It is a commitment that we will trust, learn, and obey the Lord from that day forward. Without our actions our words mean nothing. Our hope and future are in Christ. Let’s let Him deal with what is behind us so we can move ahead in what He has in store for us. If we don’t, then we will always remain broken. Let us be filled with the water of eternal life so that we may never thirst again.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
-Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV)

Heavenly Father,

We praise You for healing the brokenhearted. We give You thanks for loving us right where we are and knowing exactly where we will go. Please touch those that need You to be the one to fill a void and complete them. Let the chains of addiction be broken and let the weary rest. Father allow us to choose You every morning and search Your heart above all else. We will be set free; you and me.

In Jesus name,
Amen