Come to the Well: An Invitation for the Outcast

Recently, as I was sitting in worship, the Holy Spirit showed me a scene of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman from John 4. The woman stood with her head down. A carefully constructed façade hid the shame she carried in her heart. She was partially resentful and partially afraid as Jesus tried to converse with her.

Having been passed from man to man, desperate to survive, her heart had no space or care for another man’s words. She was the least of the least: a Samaritan, a woman, an outcast. She was unimportant and uncared for; rejected by all, to the point of seeking water in the heat of the day. Her journey to the well was monotonous and she resented it at times.

As I pondered the scene, the Holy Spirit highlighted Jesus. I felt His compassion in that moment as His gaze rested on her. He had gone out of His way, purposefully seeking her out. He wanted to draw near to her. He had turned His disciples and their mission intentionally to this moment of connection with this one woman. She was precious to Him. When no one else cared, He did.

For years, perhaps since she was young, she had seen herself through the eyes of others. Inferior and rejected, she had begun to believe their judgements. She dressed herself every day in their opinions, unaware of how to dress any other way.

Then Jesus appeared at the well. With one look into His eyes, she encountered a love she had never known. As He spoke, His words undid the ones that had kept her captive for years. She found herself dressed in new clothes; a garment of pure, white linen that declared she was precious. A beautiful robe that reflected her value to Him.

It no longer mattered what limits others had put on her. Jesus had ignored them and drawn near to her. He loved her when no one else did and that was all that mattered.

Jesus is calling to the outcasts, “Come to the well one more time.” Come and wait at the well for Him. He is coming for those that have been rejected, abandoned, despised, overlooked. You are the one that He wants to draw near to right now.

His heart is for you; He has seen your pain and felt your sorrow. He too was despised and rejected (Isa. 53:3). He was betrayed by one He counted friend (John 13:18-35). You are more precious to Him than you realize. He sees your pain; He understands your weariness.

You are the reason He has come. See yourself through His eyes and not the eyes of others around you. See the love in His eyes for you, feel how precious you are to Him. He would not only turn aside for you in the middle of the day but He would also willingly hang on a cross for you.

Jesus ignored His limits for you. Choose today to ignore your limits for Him. Let His love be the loudest voice in your life.

Come to the well and wait for Him to draw near in this season. His presence will not disappoint you. You will find the love, comfort and freedom you have been longing for.

God is wanting to bring you into a season of freedom and fruitfulness.

The woman at the well was transformed by this encounter with Jesus and it compelled her to shout the good news throughout her village. She went from silent outcast to powerful preacher.

Where being an outcast has silenced you and made you shrink back, Jesus is about to do something in your life that is going to restore your voice! Your voice is valuable. He created you to proclaim, to declare, to speak His truth into the lives around you. Don’t let the enemy silence you; be bold and be brave.

God is not only going to restore your voice but your place of honor. Today, I hear the Lord declare over you Isaiah 61:7 (NIV): “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so, you will inherit a double position in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

I hear the Spirit say that your season of barrenness and hiddenness are over. It is time to “Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” (Isa. 60:1, NIV). {eoa}

Charissa Steffens is a writer and teacher with a passion for the prophetic and Scripture. Through her ministry, Abiding Matters, she loves to see people come closer to Father God. She hosts the podcast Abiding Matter with Charissa Steffens on Charisma Podcast Network and writes for various online Christian publications. To contact Charissa or learn more, visit Abiding Matters.

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