There was a woman minding her own business at a well. She was scorned by the other women because of her wayward life. Unbeknown to her she had an appointment with the One Who give gifts by His grace and His grace was looking for an evangelist.
“So, He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph”(Jn. 4:5 NKJV).
Something Must Happen
There is something that needs to happen for us to qualify for any gift from the Lord. The woman of Samaria went through the qualifying process. First, she needed to have an encounter with God. ‘A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink” ‘(V. 7)
In those days the Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans and she told Him as much, but ‘Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” ‘(v. 10)
Puzzled as to how He, having no bucket with which to draw, was speaking of drawing living water, she asked Him how was that possible. She made it known that He was acting as though He were greater than the patriarch Jacob who dug the well in the first place.
‘Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” ‘ (vv. 13-14)
Accept the Pruning Process
The woman wanted this water but there was a catch. On enquiring about getting the water Jesus went through the process of revealing her sins to her. She had five husbands and the one with whom she was possibly cohabiting was not her husband.
After the encounter with the Lord the follow- up is to receive His pruning as He cuts away the things that are not of Him but had taken up residence in you. Accept the pruning process of the second step.
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. (V.19) indeed she was accepting that His exposing her sins was as a result of His being man of God at least.
He then spoke to her about true worship explaining the difference between their people but expounding the all-encompassing kind of worship that God required.”God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”(v. 24)
The final step was when God plainly revealed Himself to her. ‘The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things'(v.25)
” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (v. 26)
Shocked and Delighted
She must have been shocked and delighted at the same time. She then became an evangelist. ‘The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (vv. 28-29).
Like this woman of Samaria (no name meant she could be any of us), we need to go through the steps of encountering God, allowing Him to change us, and coming to a full understanding of Who He is before we can then receive that part of the fivefold ministry gift He has for us.
It will take humility, a willingness to be pruned, a heart that will accept that He is Who He says He is and not being ashamed of Him.
All the Criteria for Evangelism
The woman at the well filled all the criteria for evangelism, the last being the eagerness to share the gospel. Let us surrender likewise if we know this call is on our lives, not just the sharing of the gospel like everyone should, but a burden for the loss.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).
Amen!