John 4:4-34
“He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’
Jesus replied, ‘If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’
‘But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,’ she said, ‘and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?’
Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.’
‘Please, sir,’ the woman said, ‘give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.’
‘Go and get your husband,’ Jesus told her.
‘I don’t have a husband,’ the woman replied.
Jesus said, ‘You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!’
‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?’
Jesus replied, ‘Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’
The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’
Then Jesus told her, ‘I am the Messiah!’
Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, ‘What do you want with her?’ or ‘Why are you talking to her?’ The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?’ So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’
But Jesus replied, ‘I have a kind of food you know nothing about.’
‘Did someone bring him food while we were gone?’ the disciples asked each other.
Then Jesus explained: ‘My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.'”
Live Treasured Podcast and Blog
Authentic Love
People are not the source of agape love, but often we move them to the center, which creates unhealthy relationship cycles. Agape love, which comes only from God, is what our souls thirst for. Want more? Today’s podcast is an audio message taken from You Belong to the Bridegroom. This 12-week study on the book of Mark written by Aliene Thompson is a part of the Nourish Bible Study Series. Discover how to push through the crowd and pressures of this world and press into Jesus. To find out more about the Nourish Bible Study Series, download the FREE chapters, watch corresponding videos or find out about resources available for small group leaders, click on the link: http://treasuredministries.com/nourish-bible-study-series/
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Shame No More!
Guilt and shame can hold you hostage to your past, when God is calling you to move forward. It’s time to let it go and live in freedom. In today’s podcast episode we discuss living by grace vs effort. Let’s do this!
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Truth to Thrive
The enemy of your soul does not want you to pause from the daily hustle to receive truth to thrive. He will stop at nothing to prevent you from becoming the woman God created you to be. It’s time to draw a line against his tactics of lies and win with daily truth. In today’s episode of the Live Treasured podcast, get motivated to nourish your heart with truth every day and get an action plan to make it happen in 2021!
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Confident Decisions
Are you at a crossroads because of a conflict in your life and you need confident direction? For most of my life the focus of my filter to make my decisions rested in things like what others thought of me… would I be rejected? … and other outside filters. And this caused HUGE indecision in my life. And guess what my friends? Indecision causes insecurity. YUCK! No thanks!
But God’s wonderful counsel can change everything. Hey Treasured Tribe, you are God’s treasure, and his secure leadership is here for you. Listen to today’s podcast and as we dive into God’s Word for a message from the Christmas story. You can make confident decisions when you change your focus to filter your decisions. ONWARD!
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Scripture to Accompany Your Weekly Devotional: Prayer for a New Season
Isaiah 49: 2
“He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.”
John 12:24-26
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”
Codependency Cure
Is Codependency in the Bible? Not the exact word – but the idolatry of man is mentioned all over the Bible and that IS codependency. Simply put, codependency is a lack of God dependency. I struggled with this for years and my codependency coping mechanism resulted in some unhealthy friendships, lack of boundaries, a chaotic schedule and a lifestyle of people pleasing. But God showed me a better way to deal with the shame in my life and now I want to help others (which is why I talk about it all the time… LOL). In today’s podcast we’re talking about five timeless biblical principles that can help tackle codependency.
Want to make a difference? Here are three ways you can help our ministry grow at no cost to you:
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Scripture to Accompany Your Weekly Devotional: The Reward of Release
1 Samuel 1
“There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.
Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.
‘Why are you crying, Hannah?’ Elkanah would ask. ‘Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?’
Hannah’s Prayer for a Son
Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: ‘O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.’
As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. ‘Must you come here drunk?’ he demanded. ‘Throw away your wine!’
‘Oh no, sir!’ she replied. ‘I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.’
‘In that case,’ Eli said, ‘go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.’ ‘Oh, thank you, sir!’ she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
Samuel’s Birth and Dedication
The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I asked the Lord for him.’
The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, ‘Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.’
‘Whatever you think is best,’ Elkanah agreed. ‘Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.’ So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.
When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. ‘Sir, do you remember me?’ Hannah asked. ‘I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.’ And they worshiped the Lord there.”
Isaiah 64:8
“And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
Ephesians 5:31
“As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.'”
This scripture accompanies one of our weekly devotionals. If you’d like to receive encouragement delivered straight to your inbox each week and stay updated on all things Treasured Ministries, all you have to do is sign up for our Newsletter!
