The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.”
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I imagine between the call-out on her relational sin and her recognizing he was a prophet, there might have been a tear or two shed. But she saw something of God in Jesus and investigated. There are times in my life when I have seen the things of God and I almost wrote them off. One comes to mind. A few years back, God put on my heart to plan and hold a Back the Blue Rally. And I had never done anything close to this before. I loved supporting the police, but we were in the middle of COVID. I wrestled with God in prayer for a week. He won! We planned and held a rally at the largest center in Idaho, raised $43,000 in sponsorships, and had over 1,000 people there during COVID, on a Monday night. We had speakers, including a former law enforcement officer fly in from New York (who was at 9/11 in New York and is a Fox News contributor), we had a local Sheriff, and Police Chief, the Governor and Lt. Governor of Idaho, and our MC was the most recognizable name in law enforcement training, Paul Butler from S. Carolina. We had a concert, as well. And we did all of this in just 6 weeks. Event planners (who do this for a living) told me this was impossible for them to imagine doing this in just six weeks. It normally talks a whole year to plan. All of this … God brought to the doorstep of a corporate insurance salesman in Idaho, simply because I believed him with the impossible.

Two and a half years later, a new, non-political ministry to police officers is budding, with 20 volunteers and we have held 2 rallies. More importantly, we are making personal connections with these officers and encouraging them and helping promote the good things they do every day. And these devotionals are starting to work their way into Police circles. We are currently in the process of cutting an inspirational video to encourage them on the job and to train them how to deal with being shot and overcome adversity by pivoting to something good. This is based on a story experiences by Sergeant Brad Childers of the Nampa Police Department. We also are sending some awesome, hand-made wood “blue-line” flags to an officer (and his family) who was almost killed, one for the family and one for a benefit fundraiser. The flags are donated by a kind man named Brad, who is called to make them and very gifted. These are going to be signed by the officer’s department. I get to participate in this wonderful ministry simply because I BELIEVED GOD for the impossible when he called me to serve. And to think … I almost dismissed the call and missed the blessing, because I didn’t think it was possible.

This is an interesting passage, as we see some different things at play here: coping mechanisms, unbelief in the seemingly impossible, and finally the realization of truth. First, the woman at the well (Joe’s interpretation) jokes with Jesus about this living water. I imagine a wry smile and hands thrown up in the air, while she says, “Give me this water so I don’t have to come down here to draw water again.” She probably thought he was teasing her. It was too far of a stretch for her to believe. And when she was being teased and made fun of in the past, she likely resorted to joking. She couldn’t see the spiritual application and spiritual significance of Jesus’ LIVING WATER welling up in her! She didn’t think she was worthy. How many times do I dismiss the spiritual because it does not seem practical in my physical world? Or I don’t think I am worthy or skilled enough to participate? And so Jesus graciously showed her his authority over this world. He asks her to get her husband. OUCH! But Jesus shows her HE KNOWS HER PAIN. Instead of push her away and put her down for her sin, what does he do with this? He showed her TRUE LOVE AND COMPASSION. How can I show others in my life, in a kind way, I understand their pain and care about them? And then, in one statement, he helped her cross over from the physical into the spiritual; cross over from seeing life for its hardships to seeing life for its spiritual possibilities! AND SHE BELIEVED! She left behind years of mistakes and pain and took a step forward to believe in God’s Son.

We have a plaque hanging in our wall year round that reads: Good Things Come To Those Who Believe!
Today is my 49th birthday, and my Birthday Wish is this: that each of us will chose today TO BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE — for something really good and really difficult. Thank you Lord for caring so much about the Samaritan woman at the well and also caring so much about me. You gave her many opportunities to see past her human limitations and into YOUR LIMITLESS POWER & GRACE. And you have done this so many times for me! Help me to continue to believe that WITH YOU, ANYTHING is possible!