The Chain of Events
by Philip Asselin
This is a well-known story, but I find that there is always something fresh we can learn from God’s word. Let’s just focus on something very simple. Jesus arrived at Jacob’s well in the village of Sychar, at noon time, after a long journey from Judea. It was a distance of thirty miles, and He must have gone there with one purpose in mind, to be at the well by noon, which is when He knew the Samaritan woman would come alone to draw water. Yet He had never met her before.
Pause for a moment and consider all the different things that would be needed for this rejected and ostracised woman to meet Jesus at that particular moment. Jesus must have known from His Father that He had to be there on that day and at that time. He seems to have pushed Himself and His disciples to do this, even to the extent of not stopping on the way to buy food somewhere.
The woman had to go there at exactly the right time, with no distractions or desire to get there earlier than was her normal practice. I wonder what effect events the day before, and even that morning, had had on her emotions, before she left to go to the well. Was she at all tempted to go there at a later time?
There are probably other things you can think of that would add to the chain of events needed for Jesus and the woman to meet.
I think she must have seen her life as a huge mess and that there seemed to be no hope, or way out. But Jesus was determined to meet her. Ultimately, her response would be down to her own free will, but God was doing everything He could to utterly change her life for good, forever.
Perhaps you could pause now and think of the chain of events that God put in place to bring you to the moment that you gave your life to Jesus. It wasn’t just one or two random occurrences. It was a huge chain of events that the God of the universe put into effect just for you.
Doesn’t that say something of how much God loves you, and values you, that He would do all that? Don’t ever think that you don’t matter to God, or that He values you less than others you come across. You are of the utmost worth to the King of kings, and don’t ever forget it.
Philip Asselin Philip is on the associate ministry and teaching teams with Glyndley Manor. He and his wife Gillian attended the second Healing Retreat at Glyndley Manor in 1992, and were greatly helped. They have two grown up children, one grandson, and a step-granddaughter in California, and a daughter and granddaughter in Eastbourne. His desire is to see people healed and set free to serve God.
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