Listen

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

John 4:27–30

Think

When light floods the room, darkness escapes. When the rains finally come, drought disappears. When God is revealed, everything changes. Empowered and freed by her encounter with Jesus, the Samaritan woman leaves behind her water jar and runs back to the city to share her story. The people of the city are so inspired that they leave behind everything to chase after Jesus, frantic and anxious to hear the good news for themselves.

We don’t always know the next step to take after we have experienced the grace of God. It leaves us unsteady on our feet as the boundaries that once defined us are now no more. In those moments, we have to trust that God will reveal to us in time the new life God dreams for us to live.

When did you last let the grace of God loosen the chains around you so that you could wobble around in your newfound freedom?

Carol Harston

Pray

God who is alive and active, walk by my side as I wobble around in this new freedom. May your liberating love shine through me so that the world may glimpse it and leave behind the city to chase after you. Amen.

Go

Go now, willing to be set free
By words that bring new life,
By grace that brings new light.

Prepare yourself for knowledge that brings peace
Which knows no limits.

God is giving you reasons to be hopeful
And a new song to sing.