Mar 07

Jesus spoke with the woman at the well about spiritual things. She was familiar with these things, for she mentioned the difference that the Samaritans had with the Jews about the proper place to worship.

She was acquainted with religion, but not with God. She did not understand God. She had heard the words but never obtained the understanding which those spiritual words were meant to convey to her. She needed someone to interpret those spiritual words to her. She needed Jesus.

Jesus interpreted the spiritual words of God's message to her. He revealed to her that worship involved more than an outer place, but was primarily a matter of an inner place, the heart, where the person desiring to worship God must go.

Worship is a matter of a person's spirit communicating with God and this requires spiritual words in a spiritual person. Not everyone is spiritually minded. Jesus redirected the woman's attention from physical water and material needs to spiritual water and spiritual needs. Then he could minister spiritual truths to a spiritually aware person.

So it is with us. When we seek to minister God's truth to people of this world who are caught up only in the physical and soulish things of this world, it is necessary first to redirect their attention away from these things to the state of their spirit before God. Only after this is done will they be aware of their need for God.

Scripture for today: John 4:4-24
Thought for today: Before people will pay attention to spiritual things, they must be aware of spiritual things.
Prayer for today: Lord, show me how to direct the attention of people to spiritual things -- and keep me mindful myself of the state of my own spirit.

MAR 07