The woman at the well with Jesus might just be you. In the small town of Sychar, a life-changing encounter occurred. This encounter would leave a lasting impact not only on the woman but also on everyone who hears her story.
This past weekend, I was also a woman at The Well, The Well Conference for Creatives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The scriptures in John 4 tell the story of the woman at the well with Jesus. In this text, Jesus penetrates the walls of prejudice and cultural norms. He offers a woman something she had never known before—living water. This transformative encounter is a powerful reminder of the love and acceptance that Jesus extends to all.
The woman at the well in the Bible resonates with my loneliness and feelings of isolation. I feel the most lonely at a conference like the one I was at this past weekend. As I watch crowds of people, I wonder if I fit in. I begin to feel everyone in the room has more to offer than I do. I’m thirsty for something more. And just like the woman, when I stop listening to those negative thoughts and hear Jesus, I thirst no more.
Let’s learn a lot from Little Pot as it dives deep into a well and draws out this Living Water. Together, we will look into this water and discover if we can see our reflections.
What is the Living Water?
Throughout the Bible, we read metaphors, parables, and analogies in which God uses physical things to represent the spiritual. The stories in the Little Pot books do, too. They tell about a potter representing God and His vessels, which represent humans. When Jesus tells a parable in the Bible, it is always relative to the people He speaks to.
In John 4, the woman is drawing water from a well. Jesus asks her for a drink, and she is shocked. He is a Jewish man, forbidden to speak to her. However, Jesus tells her that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for a drink of living water. What does He mean when He says, “Living Water?”
Living Water represents Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Water is necessary for physical life, just as Jesus is essential for eternal life. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive spiritual nourishment that will satisfy our thirst for significance and acceptance. Water is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us understand God and empowers us to live fruitful lives.
The woman, however, would have interpreted “Living Water” to mean water that comes up from a spring. The same word that Jesus uses for Living Water was also used to describe a spring, fountain, or water in motion. Therefore, the conversation continues.
“The Well is Deep,” said the woman at the well with Jesus.
Then, in verse eleven, the woman at the well with Jesus says, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where can you get this Living Water?”
Her comment that the well is deep is significant. In the story, Jesus goes on to describe who she is and the pain that she has suffered. During this time, men were able to divorce women for something as simple as burning bread while they were cooking. This woman had clearly been rejected by her former husbands and was so ashamed that she did not go to the well with the other women in her town.
Not only was the well deep but her rejection and pain were deep, too.
The Vessel We Draw With.
The woman at the well with Jesus pointed out that Jesus did not have a vessel with which to draw the water. In the picture above, Little Pot is the vessel that will be filled with water. During a devotional at The Well Conference, Amy Klanderman asked us to picture what our vessels looked like. Ironically, I had already begun creating the image of Little Pot as a vessel that would draw water from a well. Little Pot represents each of us as we search for purpose in our lives. In the book The Little Pot, the vessel defines itself by what the Potter gives it to hold. Eventually, it discovers it can grow fruit for the Potter.
If you have read my testimony, you know that the story of the Little Pot represents my own journey in discovering how God could use me. Therefore, when asked to picture the vessels that needed this Living Water, it was a no-brainer for me to picture Little Pot.
Reflections in the Water.
The theme of The Well Conference was Reflections. Consequently, Amy asked us to consider the reasons why we could not see our reflection in the “Living Water.” She mentioned three things.
Empty Buckets
We cannot see a reflection without water in the bucket. The first step is to allow Jesus to fill us with Living Water or His Holy Spirit. If you have never accepted Jesus into your life, take a moment to invite Him. Admit to Him that you need to be saved from your sin and recognize that His death on the cross was payment (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10, 13.)
Muddy Water
All sorts of dirt and debris can make the water cloudy. It can be hard to see ourselves as the person God loves when thinking about how we’ve muddied our lives. Just as the woman at the well lived with shame, we must see our reflections as the one Jesus loved and gave His life to save.
Waves and Ripples
It is hard to see a reflection in choppy water. Psalm 46:10 tells us to ‘Be Still and Know That I Am God.’ When things seem rough, we can rely on God to calm us. He is in control even when things seem rough and chaotic.
Conclusion of the Woman at the Well with Jesus
Filling ourselves with Living Water and the Holy Spirit is a process of surrendering to God’s will and allowing Him to shape us into vessels that can bear His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
It is an essential process as we seek growth and transformation in our spiritual journey. Let’s surrender to the Potter together. I would be honored if you would join LIttle Pot, the other vessels, and myself on this fruit-bearing journey.
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Ashtyn Harris
Dawn Stephens