Focus: She Left Her Waterpot (Pt.1)

Text: Jh.4:28

"The woman then LEFT her waterpot, and went her way into the city…"

Upon encountering Christ, the woman of Samaria left her waterpot to run back to the city to tell the story of how Jesus Christ made a supernatural difference in her life. How come she didn't carry her water vessel with her since she was going back to the city? It is simply this: the water vessel would slow down her speed. Christ touched her life so mightily that she must hurry back to the city to share the good news to all. No room for delays. Losing a waterpot for the sake of Christ meant nothing to her. In her moment of change she felt called and compelled to let others also experience what she had experienced.

She didn't even go to the womenfolk, but to the menfolk. See how John captured it. She "said to the MEN, Come, see a MAN…" She found Jesus Christ to be 'a man among men.' A man with grace. A man with spiritual depth and perception. A man, who after undressing you with truth goes on to clothing you with grace. He never leaves you the way He met you. He's an honorable man. A man who is indeed divinity in humanity. He matched her mess and misery with mercy and majesty. He lifted from her a moral burden and set her free from spiritual bondage. Let every man see the man, Christ Jesus, and welcome the change that He alone can make in a man's life.

Imagine the change that she caused in the city! The people believed her gospel. Her face sparkled with a remarkable brilliance as she told her story. I believe she must have returned to the well later to pick up her waterpot, but at that critical moment, it had to be dropped or left behind. The task of the Lord was urgent and nothing should be allowed to stand in the way. Jesus said to Judas, "That thou doest, do QUICKLY" (Jh.13:27). That's the message to all of us. The attitude of keeping God waiting is not right. We want to be through with what we want before we can face what God wants. God must always wait for us. That's not right. Our personal convenience is more pressing than God's demands of us. The gospel is suffering in the hands of those who should be advancing, spreading and supporting it. The work of God is delaying in our hands. Certain things we have power to make happen in the kingdom of God, we waste time about them.

May we learn from this woman! Is it not time we dropped that waterpot in our hands, and give attention to eternal interests? What are you willing to let go now for the sake of Christ and His church? What's your own waterpot? Waterpots can be regarded as our own plans and pursuits, our own comfort and convenience, and our own needs and concerns.

This good news must be told, supported and sponsored. The Father's business can only be done by His children. Why should God have you and still be looking elsewhere? I am in the place of God, speaking His words to you now, and I pray you hear and act on it immediately.

No one can effectively do the will of God without leaving something behind. To move at God's required speed we must drop certain weights. Self-focusing is a distraction to the urgent or speedy execution of divine purposes. God's work can't wait; we must do it with a sense of urgency. A ripe fruit must be harvested within a given time or it will get rotten and become wasted. In the realm of the spirit delay is dangerous. Passion for the things of God will generate in us the force or capacity for speed. Excuses are weights that impede speed.

Procrastination is a waterpot that we must leave behind for greater promptness and yielding to the nudges of the Spirit, and more effectiveness in our walk with God and work for Him. The list goes on, and I am confident that the Spirit will point them out to you.

She left her waterpot, and it's time for us to leave ours. Let us let go of something or some things behind in order to move forward the things of the Spirit.

Expect part two tomorrow.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter