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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
August 1924
V, 27: They were amazed to see Christ talking with a woman, tor the Rabbis forbade this, laying down the rule, “ Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not with his own wife.” And this woman was a despised Samaritan! But their reverence for Christ was so great that they did not dare ask Him about iti7§Peloubet. The joy of winning others satisfies over every other joy. Spiritual strength comes from losing our own wills in the will of God.j4-Pract. Com. Jesus said to the woman at the well: “Whosoever drink- eth of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jno. 4 :1 4 ). He knew that her greatest need was for that DEVOTIONAL which would satisfy her soul thirst. And COMMENT His word struck a responsive note in her J. A. Hubbard heart, bringing forth that which was at the same time both a confession of her need and a request for its being met. “ The woman saith Hnto him, Sir, give me this water that I thirst not.” (v. 15). As then, so now, the thirst of the human soul can be quenched only by the living water which Jesus Christ gives. Sin cannot satisfy the thirst—-it intensifies it. The woman of Samaria had long been taking deep draughts at sin’s fountain, and yet how her soul thirsted! Wealth cannot satisfy the thirst. “Neither is his eye satisfied with riches” (Eccles. 4 :8 ). “He that Ioveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that Ioveth abun dance with increase” (Eccles. 5 :1 0 ). Worldly pleasures cannot satisfy the thirst. “ I said in my heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, there fore enjoy pleasure; and behold, this also is vanity” (Eccles 2 : 1 ) . “ And whatsoever mine. eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy: for my'heart rejoioed in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought,1and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccles. 2:10, 11). This testimony of the man who tried everything “ under the sun” in order to find satisfaction is true of people today, even if they will not admit it. People are doing today as Israel of old, forsaking the Lord, ,“ the fountain of living water,” and hewing out“ cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water,” and returning “with their vessels empty” (Jer. 2 :1 3 ; 1 4 :3 ). Jesus’ invitation still stands: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink” (Jno. 7 :3 7 ). “ I heard the voice of Jesus say Behold, I freely give
on same, and at Sychar make a little well in the sand. This can easily be made by placing a little cylinder of pasteboard on a piece of mirror on ELEMENTARY bottom of sand table, and fill around Mabel L. Merrill with sand. Fix around top with some small stones, and make like a well. Prayer. Lesson StoryJW-Who can tell me the greatest and most wonderful verse in the whole Bible, and where it is found. Pauline, you may tell us. Now, Oliver, you tell us what Jesus was doing when He spoke these words. (Review the story of Nicodemus, again emphasizing the necessity of being horn again. In our story Jesus and His disciples were on their way to a part of the country called Galilee. On the way there they came to a city called Sychar. Just out side of the city was a well, called Jacob’s well, where the people came to get water. A woman came out of the city carrying a pitcher to draw water. Now this woman was a sinner. She did not love God in her heart, and had done many things that were wrong. Jesus knew this, for He sees all our hearts, and knows of everything that we have done. Jesus talked with the woman, and told her of some of the wrong things she had done, long ago. The woman was greatly surprised, and said, ‘‘Sir, I see thou art a prophet.” She meant that He was a person about whom God had told things which other people did not know. The woman told Jesus she knew a Saviour was coming into the world, that would tell them all things. Jesus said to her, “ I that speak to thee am he.” This well supplied the people with clear, sparkling water, and Jesus told the woman that even though this water was so good, she would get thirsty again, but that He could give her living water so that she would not thirst any more. Now He tells her He is the Christ, the Saviour, Whom the woman said was coming. The woman is so surprised and happy, she does not stop to hear any more, but leaves her pitcher and starts on a run back to the city, and when she got back this is what she said to the people. “ Come see a man Who told me all the things that ever I did. Is not this the Saviour?” And the people followed her back to see Jesus, and begged Him to come into the city, and He came and stayed three days and taught the people. They listened to all the things He taught them. Many of the people believed just by hearing this woman tell them of Jesus. Now, after Jesus had talked to them a great many more believed, and they said, “Now we believe on Him, because we have heard Him our selves, and know that He is the. Saviour who has come down from heaven,” Now, we have enjoyed this wonderful story, but let us stop and see what it teaches us. This woman went and told the people where she lived about Jesus. Many of them believed when they heard her story. Have you told the boys and girls where you live of Jesus, and that they must be born again? Then there were others who heard the woman, who went to hear Jesus for themselves and they were saved. Just think of the people who were saved because one woman believed on Jesus and went and told the people of her city. She was a lost sinner when she went to the well to draw water, but she met Jesus, and when she left the well she was a saved sinner. She knew for sure that Jesus was indeed the Saviour of the world. If we know for sure in our hearts that Jesus is our Saviour, we will want to tell everybody about Him, and if He is real to us, we too will cause many to believe on Him. Will you tell others of Jesus? Prayer.
The living water; thirsty one, Stoop down and drink, and live. I came to Jesus and I drank Of that life giving stream; My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, And now I live in Him.”
Jesus Talking With A Woman John 4:5-10, 27-30, 39-42. . Memory Verse.-f^This is indeed the Saviour of the" world.” John 4:42. Approach.— If you have a good sized sand table, the little folks would be interested in outlining the places mentioned
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