Digging Deeper: Admit that You are Thirsty

Avatar photo Phil Meade on February 27, 2025

 

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband;’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true” . . .  25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

John 4:16-18, 25-26 (ESV)

 


ADMIT THAT YOU ARE THIRSTY

 

Most scholars believe that John’s account of this story is abridged; the entire conversation with Jesus is not included. The omitted parts likely contained more details about the woman’s past, providing Jesus with more of her story (this does not discount His divine ability to discern the contents of a person’s heart).

Jesus has just flipped the script. It would have been customary for a man engaged in private conversation with a woman to ask that her husband join them (v. 16). I am sure the woman had heard this request numerous times while she was unmarried, and her reaction was likely the same each time. The apostle John does not describe her facial expression, body language, or tone of voice, but we can infer from her terse four-word response that it was not a positive reaction. Guilt and shame were probably among the strongest emotions she felt. She did not join the other women of the town to draw water in the morning—there had to be a reason.

I have been divorced for over 25 years and have led numerous divorce recovery groups during my time at NorthStar. Scripture does not specifically state that divorce was the reason for the dissolution of all five of the woman’s marriages (v. 18), but it is safe to assume that at least some of her husbands did not die. One nearly universal experience among newly divorced individuals is the overwhelming sense of guilt and shame. While I encourage them to honestly look in the mirror and reflect on their role in the divorce (no matter how small it may seem) as a step toward healing, I also remind them that guilt and shame do not come from above but from the evil forces at work in this world.

All of us experience brokenness at times. We search for healing and thirst for something that truly satisfies. For Christ to quench that thirst and heal our brokenness, we must be honest with ourselves (v. 17) and, more importantly, with our Creator (confession = repentance = forgiveness = healing). “That Christ seeks all people, despite our former sins or our current circumstances, and wants to make us sincere disciples, is the great message of His conversation at the well” (bibleref.com).

One final point: This is the first recorded instance in Scripture where Jesus reveals His identity (v. 26). That He chooses to reveal Himself to a Samaritan woman of questionable character tells us everything we need to know about what our gracious Lord and Savior can do in our lives!

Diggin Deeper (er):

Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 147:3; 1 John 1:9.

 

Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.

 

Digging Deeper: Jesus is the Spring of Living Water

Avatar photo Phil Meade on February 26, 2025

 

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

John 4:13-15 (ESV)

 


JESUS IS THE SPRING OF LIVING WATER

 

I want you to think of a time when your mouth was dry, your throat parched, and you felt like you would die without something to drink. Maybe you were mowing the lawn, exercising, or simply outside on a hot, sweltering Georgia summer day (just typing this is making me thirsty!). Now, think of the one beverage that would truly quench that thirst. It might be as simple as water (probably the best choice), or it might be something different (I believe someone in the audience just said ‘Diet Coke’). Whatever your beverage of choice is, ask yourself: How long did it satisfy my thirst? How soon until I was thirsty again? (v. 13).

The woman at the well came for water, likely to carry it back to her household—a task she had performed countless times. However, this visit to the well would be different. Marcus Dods comments, “The water of Jacob’s well had two defects: it quenched thirst only for a time, and it lay outside the town a weary distance . . . Christ offers water which will quench thirst lastingly, and which will be ‘in’ the person drinking.”

Yesterday, we saw how the woman initially misunderstood Jesus, thinking He was offering her water from the ground. He explained that what He was offering did not come from a well or a spring but from His Father. The water He offered would eternally quench her thirst and become a spring within her (v. 14). Jesus was offering her a gift she did not deserve and could not earn. This, by definition, is grace.

Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Christ lovingly and graciously offers us access to this living water through His indwelling Holy Spirit. This spring will never run dry and will be our source of refreshment on life’s dry, dusty days. Nothing else can satisfy. Everything else eventually dries up or turns bitter.

As we saw yesterday, the woman’s response to Jesus’ offer of living water showed that she was still thinking in literal terms (v. 15). But Jesus was offering her so much more. Now, as the story continues, He puts her to the test. Their back-and-forth verbal sparring over literal versus figurative water is over.

All of us, at one time or another, have been challenged to decide. The Samaritan woman’s time is now. The next few moments in this encounter will determine her eternal destiny.

Diggin Deeper (er):

John 7:37-39; Hebrews 4:16; Revelation 21:6.

 

Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.

 

Digging Deeper: A Thirst Only Jesus Can Satisfy

Avatar photo Phil Meade on February 25, 2025

 

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” . . . 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

John 4:7-12, 15 (ESV)

 


A THIRST ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY

 

A woman comes to a well to draw water, unaware that her life is about to change. Jesus, as He often does, breaks from the cultural norms of the day. He—a Rabbi—initiates a conversation in public with a woman (v. 7), something a self-respecting Jewish Rabbi would never do. I am sure the woman was taken aback at first, but her response to Jesus signifies her willingness to engage with this stranger. She knows the long history of disdain that Jews have for her people; nevertheless, she continues the conversation. She senses that the man speaking to her is no ordinary Jewish Rabbi.

Quite often, those who encountered Jesus interpreted His words through a temporal lens, while Jesus was speaking of the eternal. When the woman asks why Jesus would request a drink from her (v. 9), He redirects the conversation, beginning to open her eyes to who He is and what He has to offer (v. 10). However, she continues to misunderstand His meaning. She can only conceive of physical water, and her questions reflect that confusion. She notes that Jesus has no bucket with which to draw water and reminds Him that this well is special, built by Jacob. She knows of no other source of this living water (v. 12–13). Even after Jesus explains the true meaning of the living water He offers, she remains confused. She asks for the water, not as a pathway to eternity, but as a means to quench her thirst and relieve her from the daily burden of drawing water from the well.

Barclay’s Study Bible notes, “In every man there is this nameless unsatisfied longing; this vague discontent; this something lacking; this frustration.” The woman’s response is not unlike our own when we are thirsty—when things are not going our way, and we seek relief. We long for an ice-cold glass of water to soothe our parched throats, yet Jesus offers the only water that will truly satisfy. Even though the woman at the well is initially focused on her physical thirst, I believe her continued questioning reveals a deeper, spiritual thirst longing to be quenched. As we will see, Jesus is just beginning to transform her life.

Diggin Deeper (er):

Matthew 5:6; John 6:35; Revelation 7:16-17.

 

Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.

 

Digging Deeper: Living Sent, with a Purpose

Avatar photo Phil Meade on February 24, 2025

 

3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

John 4:3-7a (ESV)

 


LIVING SENT, WITH A PURPOSE

 

Thus begins one of my favorite “Jesus encounters” in the Bible. As we continue in The Changemaker series, we see Jesus traveling to a specific place (living sent) to meet a specific person (with a purpose). Please indulge me for a few sentences as I set the stage for this Jesus encounter.

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the southern kingdom of Judah, founded by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (with Jerusalem as its capital), and the northern kingdom of Israel, founded by the remaining ten tribes (with Samaria as its capital). In the late 8th century BC, the Assyrians captured the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17:6). Many upper-class Israelites were exiled to Assyria, while foreigners were brought in to settle among the remaining lower-class Israelites (2 Kings 17:24). Centuries of intermarriage created a mixed race—the Samaritans—who existed at the time of our story. Deep religious differences led to hostility between the Samaritans and the Jews.

The most direct route from Jerusalem, in the region of Judea, to Galilee (where Jesus spent much of His ministry) passed through Samaria. Most religious Jews took a longer, more arduous path, crossing the Jordan River twice to avoid Samaria altogether, doubling their travel time. However, Scripture notes that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” on His way to Galilee (John 4:4). He had a purpose.

As our story begins, Jesus stops at Jacob’s well near the town of Sychar, located between the city of Samaria and Mount Gerizim. This was not a random rest stop on the highway; it was intentional and purposeful. Jesus was seeking someone who needed Him—someone who likely did not even realize they were lost (Luke 19:10). The Samaritan woman is about to meet a Changemaker who will not only transform her life but also impact countless others.

We, too, are called to be changemakers in the lives of others. Just before His final ascension into heaven, Jesus reminds His followers: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8b). I find it significant that Samaria is specifically mentioned. Jesus is reminding us that no one is unworthy of His grace and mercy. I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes and touch your heart to see your own “Samaritan.”

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Romans 10:15b, cf. Isaiah 52:7).

Diggin Deeper (er):

2 Kings 17; Luke 19:10; Rom 10:13-15.

 

Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.

 

Digging Deeper – The Ultimate Changemaker

Avatar photo David Griffith on February 21, 2025

 

16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. 

John 20:11-18 (NLT)

 

THE ULTIMATE CHANGEMAKER

 

So, who is the ultimate changemaker in this story? Obviously, the One who initiated the change in Mary of Magdalene was Jesus.  He found Mary and made seven demons leave her in an instant. It was Jesus that took Mary out of darkness and placed her in the light. Jesus did that for Mary and she gladly submitted to the Saviors will and chose to serve who she knew was her Lord. She became devoted to an all powerful God that took her from the heights of joy and astonishment, to the depths of despair and fear; but all without wavering in her resolve to follow Him, even into a borrowed tomb. Jesus chose to appear to Mary first, and He chose Mary for a very important role as His voice to tell the disciples that He was alive and that He would meet them soon.  Yes, Mary was changed BY the changemaker, Jesus the Christ! Then Mary was all too glad to be used BY her Lord and her God for whatever He needed her to do, and He did not waste that service.   Some may say that Jesus appearing to Mary first and telling her to go and “tell the others” was not that big of a deal; and you would be wrong!  What if your boss came to you and shared their plans for a new direction that the company was going to be taking, and then told you to go and “tell the others” in the company that the new direction would be announced at a company retreat, in say…Galilee!  That would be kind of a big deal, wouldn’t it?  Mary was trusted by Jesus and that is kind of a big deal!

Jesus trusts you too! 

 He trusts us because He changed us, just like He did Mary. And now it is time for us to pass it on and introduce others to our Changemaker.  Whether it is through being transparent about our faith in the marketplace, or through joining or leading a Life Group and inviting neighbors to join, or by finally beginning to tithe consistently, or by making an uncomfortable commitment to Whatever it Takes; Jesus is calling us to be all-in for His glory. He wants us to meet Him in Galilee.

He loves you so much forever!

 

 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – Becoming a Voice for Jesus

Avatar photo David Griffith on February 20, 2025

 

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. 

John 20:11-18 (NLT)

 

BECOMING A VOICE FOR JESUS

 

The second way that Jesus rewarded Mary’s devotion was by making her His voice in the most important message delivered to His disciples: “I have seen the Lord! He told me to tell you that He is going to be ascending to His Father and our Father, to His God and to our God. He is going to Galilee, and we are to meet Him there” (Mark 16:7; Matthew 28:6-10). Can you imagine the astonishment? Can you imagine the change of emotion for her then, and for the disciples when they heard? Total despair to a renewed sense of hope—all because Jesus had chosen Mary to deliver this message. How honoring is that? “Mary, go and tell the others, my brothers, that I have risen and will meet them in Galilee before I go home! Hurry, Mary! Go and tell my disciples, and Peter, that they will see me soon, just as you are seeing me now!”

Mary Magdalene was to be Jesus’ courier of a most important message.

And Jesus has given us the same job. If you are a child of the King, you too have seen the empty tomb and have been told, “Go and tell the others!” Our purpose is to SEE Jesus daily and get to know Him more intimately so that we can go and tell the others! The others are those who have not seen the empty tomb; they are the doubters, those in darkness, or those who have lost hope. Can you do that? Can we, as a church—meaning the individual parts of the body of Christ—be like Mary and live sent, carrying the light into a PERFECTLY dark world? I believe we can! I believe that when we are saved out of the darkness, we are compelled from deep within to go and tell the others: “He is alive; and He has gone to His Father and our Father, to His God and to our God! And because He lives, you too can walk in the light.”

Be God’s voice!

He loves you so much forever!

 

 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – Devoted to Jesus

Avatar photo David Griffith on February 19, 2025

 

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 

John 19:25 (NLT)

 

DEVOTED TO JESUS

 

What does it mean to be devoted? The American Heritage Dictionary defines devotion this way: Ardent affection and dedication, as to a person. Religious ardor or zeal, piety. The act of devoting or the state of being devoted.

Mary Magdalene personified this definition. After being set free from PERFECT darkness, she wanted only to live in the light that Jesus produced. She followed Him everywhere and provided for His ministry. She cooked and cleaned (I assume; it is not stated) and did what women did in the first century. She was devoted almost to a fault.

How, you might ask, did she show her devotion? Here we go!

Mary Magdalene was at the cross, watching her Lord and Savior being crucified to death (John 19:25; Mark 15:40-41; Matthew 27:55-56). There was no abandoning the one who had freed her from the darkness.

Mary followed Joseph of Arimathea to the grave he had provided for Jesus so that she knew where to go when the Sabbath was completed (Luke 23:55-56; Matthew 27:61). Though Mary had to wait for up to two days and three nights, she was already planning her anointing of Jesus’ body with spices as a sign of her devotion. She would not abandon her duty to Him, even in death.

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb the day after the Sabbath to anoint Jesus for proper burial according to Jewish law (John 20:1; Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-8). Mary had been preparing for this ritual since He was laid in the tomb and was following through devotedly for her King.

Personally, I am amazed at Mary’s devotion to Jesus. After all, her propitiation was dead and buried… or so she thought.

But God… is a rewarder of the devoted and of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

So, how did Jesus reward His devoted servant, Mary Magdalene? He rewarded Mary by allowing her to be the first one to see Him in His resurrected state! Mary Magdalene, former demon-possessed woman and probably a prostitute—the darkest of the dark when it came to hope and prospects—was the one whom Jesus shined His light upon. She was on stage for the most magnificent event in all of human history. Jesus gave Mary the greatest honor since the creator of her mother, Eve. That is what I call a reward. Jesus APPEARED to Mary first. Not to Peter. Not to John, the disciple whom Jesus loved (according to John!); not to James or to any of the other disciples. Jesus appeared to Mary and gave her an important task, a purpose: “GO AND TELL THE OTHERS…”

In tomorrow’s Digging Deeper, we will look at this additional blessing bestowed upon His devoted servant.

He loves you so much forever!

 

 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – When the Son Sets You Free

Avatar photo David Griffith on February 18, 2025

 

And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God; the twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out…

Luke 8:1-2

 

WHEN THE SON SETS YOU FREE

 

When we are first introduced to Mary Magdalene, she is serving Jesus’ ministry in total freedom. She and the other women—no one knows the exact number—are working and sharing what they earn with Jesus and the disciples to fund His ministry. Mary Magdalene (MM) is walking in the light, serving Jesus, with no thought of the PERFECT darkness that she had been freed from, because “when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36). We are not told how Jesus did it. If we believe the scriptures in relation to the freeing of the disciples from their darkness, or the freeing of the demon-possessed epileptic, or the demoniac, or the blind man, or the deaf man, or the dead girl, or the bleeding woman, or the Roman soldier’s servant, we see that Jesus simply spoke to the seven demons and they left her. As we discovered yesterday, darkness only ceases to exist when it is replaced with light. PERFECT LIGHT casts out the darkness so that there is not even a hint of shadow that remains. That is Jesus! Let’s take a look at James 1:17: “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

If you find yourself in darkness, or even a shifting shadow, and Jesus is your Savior, then lift up your eyes to the Father of Lights, where there is no darkness, no shadow, no doubt, or fear—there is only the peace that comes from being in the presence of PERFECT illumination. Focus on His Light, and the darkness cannot remain in your life. This was me for about four years of my Christian life, as I watched my late wife slowly die after 20 years of illness. I was in darkness because I refused to lift my eyes to look at Jesus, the Light of the World. Why? Because I was mad at Him for not healing her. (I wanted to say “pissed at Him,” but thought it inappropriate.) But God, in His gentle mercy, reached out to me and filled me with hope, contentment, and—light. He welcomed His prodigal son home, and He will do the same for you, regardless of the circumstance that separated you from Him in the first place.

If Jesus is not yet your Savior, but you feel the Holy Spirit drawing you to Him (you know what it feels like :), then submit your darkened will to His enlightened plan for you (Ephesians 2:10): “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Join with Mary Magdalene in her joyful walk of service, ministering on behalf of Jesus to a lost world stumbling through the darkness.

I promise you, your life is about to change in unimaginable and glorious ways. Walking in the light is so much better than walking in darkness. I know! I’ve done both!

In tomorrow’s Digging Deeper, we will look at the devotion of an enlightened servant!

He loves you so much forever!

 

 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – From Darkness to Freedom

Avatar photo David Griffith on February 17, 2025

 

And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God; the twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out…

Luke 8:1-2

 

FROM DARKNESS TO FREEDOM

 

Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus had healed from the possession of seven demons, was in PERFECT darkness. So, what is the difference between darkness and PERFECT darkness? And why is it important? Well, because seven is considered the perfect number in scripture. God created the heavens and the earth in six days. It took Him six days to create everything we can experience with our senses, and on the seventh day, God rested. Seven days in total, and it was PERFECT.

I believe that Mary found herself in seven levels of torment, seven levels of despair, and seven levels of hopelessness. Where Mary Magdalene was, there was no light at all. She was in PERFECT darkness, and it was seven levels deep.

Another lifetime ago, when I was in college, I spent a summer as a Soda Ash miner in Lyman, WY, as a Jack-Leg Operator on a mining crew. We were 1,500 feet underground for 10 hours straight, drilling holes for dynamite to make tunnels in the Soda Ash layers of rock. Hey, it paid a LOT better than working at the hometown pool, and I needed the money. We had lights strung up to help us, as well as a battery-powered lamp on our helmets… just in case. One day, “just in case” happened, and the lights/power went out. All we had were our helmet lamps for light. This was fine until the batteries that powered those lamps started to go out, one by one. When the last headlamp went out, we were in PERFECT darkness. There was no inkling of light anywhere. Our eyes never adjusted because there was nothing for them to adjust to. We were in an “absence of light” environment, and we were scared (at least I was). Darkness this complete can only be described, by me at least, as foreboding and evil, in a sense. I knew my Savior was there with me, but I could not see Him in His creation (see Romans 1), so I could not see HIM. All I could do was listen.

I believe that Mary was in PERFECT darkness spiritually. There was NO light in her existence because she was literally dead in her sin, and the seven demons were there to remind her of her decaying soul. She did not yet know Jesus, so there was no hope to listen for. Sound familiar?

I have been there, in the darkness, where all I can hear is the sound of demons tormenting me about my sin. Have you? Are you there now? Do you feel hopeless in such a way that makes you believe the light will never shine again in your life?

If that is where you find yourself, I have GREAT news for you! God will not waste the pit you are experiencing. The light came and will shine on you just like He did with Mary. Perfect darkness will be replaced with PERFECTION, which is light indescribable, even the Light of the World.

In tomorrow’s Digging Deeper, we will talk about just how and why the light will shine.

He loves you so much forever!

 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!

Digging Deeper – Love Story

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on February 14, 2025

 

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 7:36-39; 47-48 (NLT)

 

LOVE STORY

 

This week, we’ve been taking a closer look at the story of the woman condemned to death, but another similar exchange happened between Jesus and the Pharisees. Like the story in John 8, this account also involved a woman whose reputation preceded her.

In both stories, the Pharisees are mired in their self-righteousness. They have a penchant for identifying the sins of others but are oblivious to their own need for a Savior. However, the immoral woman anointing Jesus’ feet has found new life in her Savior. In fact, Jesus comments that she loves much because she has been forgiven much.

In yesterday’s devotional, I shared that we don’t truly know what became of the woman caught in adultery. However, we can be certain that her encounter with Jesus left her a changed woman. Jesus’ grace quite literally gave her “new life,” as she had been condemned to death by the Pharisees.

If you have been on the receiving end of mercy and grace, you know how it tends to heighten your compassion and love for others. When you’ve experienced brokenness and walked through the painful restoration process, your vision for others becomes clearer.

Conversely, if you have been forgiven little—or if you’ve fooled yourself into thinking you’re perfect—you extend that same measure of love and compassion to others.

Sandwiched between the two excerpts from Luke 7 above is an exchange between Jesus and the man who invited Him to his home:

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said.

Forgiveness opens the door to living with open hands and an open heart. The best news is that Jesus has already forgiven you. When you recognize that you owe a debt you could never repay and accept His gift of new life, your story is given a new chapter—and an eternally joyful ending.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.