Gifted and Gifting

“Call your husband.”

“I have no husband.”

“Well said.” “For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” [1]

Jesus “read her mail” – an expression for when a prophet tells you something about you that was not revealed to him by any other source than the Holy Spirit.

Back in 1983, Sherry and I met a man on a city street corner who told us the answer to a question that we were pondering and discussing as we were walking. After that, he proceeded to tell us that he saw us in a vision with Jesus and many children. He had been waiting for us. That’s all he had to say to us.

Up until that point, we had planned NOT to have children because we had planned to do missionary work in China. Fast forward forty-two years later, we have four children and twelve grandchildren, and ministering to children has truly been one of our greatest joys.

Back to the woman who had five husbands and one non-husband. She had walked to a well to get some water that day but Jesus met her, talked with her, and she left the well the day with much more than water.

Jesus said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” [2]

Jesus wanted to give her a gift. He wanted to make her a gift to others.

The Apostle Paul explained that when Jesus ascended on high, He led captivity (or captives) captive and gave gifts to men. What were the gifts? The gifts were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. People to build God’s kingdom on earth. [3]

Jesus told the woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” [4]

The woman said to Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming [who is called Christ]. When He comes, He will tell us all things.” [5]

Bingo! She hit the nail on the head. The Messiah was speaking to her.

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.’” [6]

The woman received a gift that day. Jesus Messiah revealed Himself to her. She believed His words and was changed by them. She shared her gift with others.

“Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’” [7]

See, she received a gift! A message from God! She shared God’s gift with others. Many believed in Jesus as a result of her testimony.

Many Samaritans came to Jesus. “Many more believed because of His own Word.” “They said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’” [8]

“Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of coming to us through Your Word and by Your Spirit. Please help us with great joy share this gift with others. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.”

[1] John 4:16-18
[2] John 4:10
[3] Ephesians 4:8, 11
[4] John 4:13-14
[5] John 4:25

[6] John 4:26
[7] John 4:39
[8] John 4:41-42