IƵll never forget asking Tamara to marry meƵthe nerves before I popped the question, and how my heart leaped when she said yes. I was overjoyed.
We can all think of moments when joy filled our hearts to overflowingƵbut theyƵre just that: moments. For some of us, theyƵre few and far between.
That causes me to wonder: how can we live with joy all the time? As a believer, IƵve found itƵs when our joy is rooted in a who, not a what. And that who is Jesus.
The kind of joy Jesus gives isnƵt the kind weƵre used toƵthe kind defined as Ƶthe emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortuneƵ (WebsterƵs Dictionary, 1977). ItƵs the kind only He can give. In John 4, we see how this joy transforms lives through the story of a woman who desperately needed change.
As a Samaritan, most Jews already looked her down on this woman. Add her history of five marriages and current unmarried relationship, and she was essentially an outcast. Because of this shame, she walked to the well during the dayƵs hottest hoursƵwhen no one else would be there.
Except one day, Jesus was there.
He asked her for a drink. Knowing Jews didnƵt typically associate with Samaritans, she replied, ƵYou are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?Ƶ (v. 9).
Jesus responded, ƵIf you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living waterƵ (v. 10).
The woman wondered how Jesus could have water without a bucket. But Jesus was referring to a different kind of well: ƵEveryone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirstƵƵ (v. 13).
Jesus then prophetically described her broken past (v. 16-18). When she recognized Him as a prophet, He revealed His true identity as the Messiah (v. 25-26). The joy this woman experienced that day would never leave her.
This story shows us three ways JesusƵs joy transforms our lives. First, it challenges wrong thinking (v. 7-10). Jesus helped the woman see that His joy was unlike the worldƵs temporary happiness. This supernatural joy doesnƵt depend on changing circumstancesƵit depends on JesusƵs unchanging nature.
Then, it changes our behavior (v. 16-18). Jesus addressed the womanƵs pain points directly, showing His joy leads to genuine transformation. When we trust Him, our circumstances improve as our behavior aligns with His truth.
It also deepens our faith (v. 21-26). When Jesus revealed His identity as the Messiah, the woman received a revelation that changed everything. Her certainty in God grew because she encountered Him personally.
What kind of joy are you choosing? The fleeting happiness the world offers, or the living water only God can give? Like this woman, choose GodƵs joyƵand youƵll find it never runs dry.