I was reading John chapter 4. You know the account about Jesus and the woman at the well? I must have read it at least over two dozen times. But this time, I saw something more. One of the amazing things that happened in this passage is that both the woman and Jesus left without getting a single drop of water from the well. My understanding about this is Jesus’ thirst was met when He did the will of His Father by giving the woman living waters. The woman’s thirst was met after she received the living water from Jesus. But as amazing as this is, this was not my awe moment. My awe moment came when I read what this woman did after her life changing encounter with Jesus.

 Unbelievably, this woman was able to convince an entire city to come and hear Jesus. The book of John chapter 4 verse 30, states that city went out and came to Jesus. Wow! an entire city came because they believed this woman’s report. But, I asked myself, “how did she do this?”.

My awe moment came when I searched to answer this question. How did a woman with no creditability, of low regard, and a ruined reputation (five “husbands” and shacking with one) capable of convincing an entire city to come and hear Jesus? In that time, this woman’s lifestyle was so dreadful, that it could be punishable by stoning. This woman’s lifestyle would be considered the scum of the earth. She would be called an adulteress who would be scorned from the public.

As I pondered the possible answers to this question, is it then that the Holy Spirit suddenly shined God’s light on my heart. The woman at well was able to convince an entire city to come to Jesus by her joy! Her display of joy must have been so awesome that others must have recognized her life changing experience. Her joy had superseded her reputation. Her joy had become contagious. Her joy caused people to follow her. Her joy changed their lives. Her joy changed a city and brought them to Jesus.

The woman who met Jesus with all her known sins became the joy of the city.

The power of the love of God is freely available to all of the people of God.  As the days unfolds, we are to put all of our trust in the Lord.  Not politicians, financials systems, or globalization, but trust the Lord with all our hearts.