The Woman at the Well

The woman at the well was a woman who was alone, who would do anything to feel loved by others, even things that were not accepted as common decency but that she thought would fulfill the longing in her heart to be seen.

She was a sinful woman that Jesus cared enough to reach out to, talk to, and see value in—to see her as worthy of His love. 

And what did she do after her encounter with Jesus? She ran to tell others about the Man that knew all about her but loved her anyways.

I think we skip over how she dropped her water pitcher and ran to the people she was avoiding by getting water at the hottest time of the day. We skip over the courage it took for her to go to the people who represented judgement to share the freedom that had been extended to her.

What was it that made her such an impactful witness? John 4:39 says: “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.” I think it was the change in the woman, who went from avoiding people to rushing to them with joy. She was bursting to tell people about her experience, how Jesus had changed her, and they could see the change!

Who needs my story that I’m afraid to tell it to? Who needs your story to know the power of redemption, to know the grace Jesus offers? Who needs to see the change in your life as a witness to what grace can do? Do we need to drop our fear, our pride, our shame, and run to the people we avoid?

Now is the time to RISE UP, to be courageous and share what Jesus has done in our lives, even with the people we want to avoid who represent the parts of us that we’re ashamed of. Like the woman at the well, our stories are powerful, and people need them.  Now is the time to RISE UP and maybe even run to the people who have hurt us, to tell them how Jesus offers freedom from pain and shame.

Who in our lives needs to hear our testimonies? Who needs to see the change Jesus has caused in our lives? Rise up, ladies. Tell people about the man who knows every part of you and offers freedom. Tell people about the love and peace they can have. Tell them your story.

Rise Up Like Daniel

We chose to name our son Daniel for several reasons. Since we were working overseas, we took into account the fact that Daniel translates nicely into French, Lingala, and Swahili. Also, we liked the sound of the name and would have even been okay with the nickname Danny. But the biggest draw was the biblical example of the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament. 

I am impressed with everything we read about this young refugee. He was handsome, smart, diplomatic, and an overcomer in very difficult circumstances. Without a doubt, Daniel was someone who knew when, why, and how to rise up in the power of the Spirit. However, the fascinating thing about Daniel is that he had the wisdom and discernment to adapt his “rising ups” to fit the circumstances of each challenge.

When it was a question of dietary regulations, he didn’t loudly demand his rights as a good, kosher Jewish boy who didn’t want to eat the king’s pork chops. Instead of either obeying or disobeying the king’s instructions, he politely proposed a third option and negotiated a solution that resulted in glorifying the Lord in this pagan political educational system. 

However, when it came to the exercise of his personal faith, there was no negotiation. Even if it meant ending up in the lion’s den, Daniel rose up to boldly live out his spirituality with faithfulness to his convictions and commitment to his relationship with God. We know the Lord delivered Daniel, but I thoroughly believe that Daniel would have echoed the declaration of his friends who said, “We know that God is able to deliver us, but even if He doesn’t, we will not bow!”

As Alliance women, we are called to follow Daniel’s example to rise up. Sometimes that rising up will involve a calling to peacemaking through compromise or negotiation to work out our differences for His glory. At other times, we are called to courageously and confidently rise up to accomplish the vision He has put before us—even if it means a trip to the “lion’s den”—to serve Him, exalt Him, and do our part to proclaim His glory both at home and abroad.

My dear Alliance sisters, dare to be a Daniel! Rise up!