The Woman at the Well – Who Cares?
As I
started to sit with the Lord, I heard a distinct voice say, “Who cares?” I said
out loud that Jesus cares remembering 1 Peter 2:5-7.
After much
time sitting in His presence, I heard the song: I’m taking it back - everything
that the devil stole from me. Two people from our church meetings came to
mind.
Still
another woman came to my mind who attends our services. She and I don’t seem to
connect much. As I sat with the Lord, He asked me if this bothered me and
I said, “Yes.” It bothers me when others don’t seem to like me or want to be
around me. Then I thought of yet another one at our meetings and how she
doesn’t seem to relate well to me.
Holy Spirit
was showing me that it is a sense of rejection. It’s a spirit. Then I was reminded
by the Lord to further look at the Samaritan woman. She had a spirit of
rejection. With all her past failed relationships and now before this Jewish
man who she felt would not even look at her, let alone ask her to give Him a
drink!
The Lord is
helping me to deal with these same issues that have been deeply rooted in me as
I look further at the message that was preached on this past Sunday.
It hurts me
when people don’t want to be around me. Many of the people I have known in my
life never really reached out to me. I was always the one reaching out and
trying to keep them in my life so I could feel like I had some friends. But
the moment I was in need of help or stopped doing the reaching - they never
seemed to reach out to me.
This
further enhances my sense of rejection that started as a child when my dad left
and my mom was completely incapable of hugging me or showing me love other than
to provide for my basic care like a roof over my head, some kind of food to eat
and some clothing on my back.
My siblings
have rejected me. My children have rejected me and refused to forgive me and
allow me to be a part of their lives. People in the church have rejected
me. I forgive them all for this even though it hurt me deeply.
But as I
focus on the love of God more, I know in my head I am not rejected. He has
accepted me. He approves of me. Not everyone in this world will relate well to
me or want to be around me. That needs to be healed in my soul and become
an ‘experience’ of acceptance in Jesus. He MUST be enough for me - no
matter what anyone else thinks, says or does to me.
I heard the
Lord whisper to my heart, “Just like the Samaritan woman, you feel rejected by
many, yet you have a hope that one day you will no longer feel this way.”
Now look
at this...
Micah
4:2-4 AMP
And many
nations shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To
the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways and that we
may walk in His paths.” For the law shall go forward from Zion, And the word of
the Lord [the revelation about Him and His truth] from Jerusalem. And He will
judge between many peoples and render decisions for strong and distant nations.
Then they shall hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks [so that the implements of war may become the tools of agriculture];
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Nor shall they ever again train
for war. Each of them shall sit [in security and peace] under his vine and
under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the
[omnipotent] Lord of hosts has spoken it. For all the peoples [now] walk Each
in the name of his god [in a transient relationship], As for us, we shall walk
[securely] In the name of the Lord our [true] God forever and ever.
This is
showing us to learn HIS WAY of doing things - whether it is how we eat
or work or relate to people, places and things. Getting in His presence will
help us learn His way to do everything.
When I
first heard that clear voice this morning say, “Who cares?” I thought it the
enemy and I said out loud, “God cares.” This was Holy Spirit whispering to me
as if to invite me to find out who cares for me the most. That answer is
clear. It is Jesus. As I lay there in my prayer chair in the quiet of the
morning at 3:30 am after awakened by Holy Spirit, here came that still small
voice.
I didn’t
try to work up any agenda. I said a couple things to the Lord to get started
and purposed to just sit with Him in heaven. To just be in His presence
and enjoy Him. Period. No agenda.
Then it all
came to me about being rejected by people - the family and many supposed
friends. Coworkers and strangers alike have all rejected me in some way or
another, at one time or another.
But there
is One who is perfect. There is One who never lets up on caring. He is the same
yesterday, today and tomorrow. He ALWAYS cares.
I wondered
why in my life so many never seemed to really care. I had no lasting best
friend as I grew up moving from place to place in my ever so unstable family
environment. The place I lived in at home was a battle zone of its own, so I
constantly sought refuge anywhere I could get it.
Whether it
was in the arms of a man or hanging around a girlfriend who seemed to be a
friend in that season, I constantly sought the love, acceptance and approval
from earthly sources - be it people, places, food or things. Anything that
would make me feel better and feel like I was approved and accepted. I
just wanted to love people and feel like someone cared for me.
Oh how hard
I tried to fit in at work and at parties, but I never really felt like I
belonged where I was. At times I wondered why I felt this way but never
chose to seek out the answer. It seemed too complicated. So, I just kept myself
busy with life and people and anything that would keep me going from one minute
to the next as if to try to ‘tread water’ and not drown!
Now, in
this season of life, after all the tooil and struggle to feel loved, accepted
and approved, I am finding out that time with Holy Spirit - Jesus, each day is
the only thing that really matters most. I am learning that I really
cannot be effective in this world or in my own life without abiding in Him - just
enjoying His presence. To my human mind it seems far too easy to
comprehend.
I really
find enjoyment in reading the Bible and books that are about God. Reading and
learning are a great passion of mine. It gives me joy to read and learn. It
helps me calm down and focus. That’s all good. But what I am learning now
at 63 and 1/2 years young is that none of it matters without that solid stable nonstop
communion with Holy Spirit.
Oh, how I
have complicated my life. I have wasted precious energy, time and money. Much
has been stolen from me for lack of knowing what the true key to life is - and
that life is Jesus.
The
Samaritan woman wanted to love and went from one man to another. She told
Jesus that she and her people had hope that one day they would know where to go
to worship and one day the Messiah would come and tell them what they needed to
know.
Little did
she know when she voiced those words that she stood in the presence of her
Messiah that very moment. It had nothing to do with the mountain or the inner
city known as Jerusalem.
When I
looked at that passage in Micah later this morning, I see that people would be
beckoning others to come “up to the mountain of the Lord”. In that verse
it is noted that going where God is would help them learn His ways so
they could walk the way God does - in His paths.
Then they
would sit UNDER His vine and fig tree (the place with sweet fruit) and
nothing would make them afraid. This is telling us that when we dwell in
His presence we will learn from Him and begin to act like Him; the resulting
fruit of that will be NO FEAR!
What a
glorious thing! It’s just too simple. Why did Jesus call is to come to Him when
we are weary and heavy laden (Matthew 11)? I can speak for myself when I
say I have worn myself completely down trying to do the right thing, say the
right thing, read the right thing and experience the right thing hoping to be
more like Jesus. Oh how weary I have become in all my efforts.
All the
while I never really took the time to stop trying to earn His love and approval
while I ran like a hamster on a wheel as if to say, “Hey, look at me God! I am
trying to say and do all the right things because I am Your daughter.” All
the while He must have been smiling and thinking, “Oh how little you know young
one. But one day you will get it.”
If we would
just put everything down in the beginning of each day; our agenda and what we
are planning to have for breakfast or what happened yesterday, and just lay our
head silently on His chest and enjoy Him, how different might our lives
go?
How much of
what we long to see happen in our lives for the purpose of the beautiful gospel
might just “happen” as a result of abiding in His presence. Knowing He
is there - with us. Knowing He cares.
That song I
was hearing this morning as I was led into worship comes up to me now as I sit
here in the middle of a workday afternoon and write all that is flowing through
my mind right now...
Song
title: You Are There by: Terry Macalmon
Sometimes
when I'm lonely, it feels like I'm the only one around
And no one
cares
You Are
There
You Are
There
And when I
get discouraged
And the
road is steep before me
I try to
climb but get nowhere
You Are
There
You Are
There
You Are
There
If I ascend
to the highest heaven
You Are
There
If I would
make my bed in the lowest hell
You will be
there
To pick me
up each time I fall
The One who
loves me through it all
You Are
There
Walkin'
right beside me
With your
love to guide me
Keep me
from the evil snare
You Are
There
You Are
There
Know you'll
never leave me
Your word
will not decieve me
Your mercy
is beyond compare
You Are
There
Always
There
You Are
There
If I ascend
to the highest heaven
You Are
There
If I would
make my bed in the lowest hell
I stand
amazed right here and right now as I write. I had not thought of that song
again all day - until now. Holy Spirit brought it back to remind me. While I
sat with Jesus through all that this morning, more revelation came to me about one
of the ladies He had highlighted in my mind.
He was
trying to show me how much she needed to know someone cares. Her struggles seemed
so mountainous and she had been terribly hurt by people in the church. I
understand that. While I tried not to get too involved and point her to the
only One who always cares, we still need each other to show that we care. We
all need someone to show care - like Jesus with skin on for us.
Sometimes
we need that physical hug and a shoulder to cry on that is flesh and bone and
can be used by the Lord to bring a tangible comfort to others. Earlier this
week I had a neighbor approach me and just unload all the pain she had just experienced
at her daughter’s wedding.
Her wounds
were fresh, and she is still bleeding from that painful experience. Right now,
she just needs to let it out, cry it out and allow Jesus to comfort her and
hold her close while she walks it out. While He is the only One who can heal
those wounds and remove the scars, we as His children should still have a
compassionate heart and a listening ear when someone cries out to us.
It’s
amazing how Jesus can use us without us even trying. It just happens. Moments
come. Appointments show up and there we are - un-expecting and unprepared - we
think.
But He is
always there. While we are going through our own healing process, we can
still stop and allow Jesus to bring others into His presence where they too can
get healed.
Be blessed as you learn
and grow in Jesus Name!
Hanny Lynn Stearns
Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.
Hannylynn05@gmail.com
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