Don’t you love those movies when boy meets girl…and then boy pursues girl…then they fall in love?
I was in college when I met my husband at a Bible study. He was sitting on the floor dressed in scruffy jeans, a red flannel shirt, and a strong face that needed a shave. The moment I saw him, I was smitten. But I didn’t want him to know that.
Steve finally asked me out on a date, and several more followed. One night, Steve said, “Will go with me to all the rest of the football games for the rest of the year?”
“I’m not going to answer that question,” I cavalierly responded. “You’ll have to ask me each week.”
What I was really saying was that I wanted to be pursued. None of this blanket-invitation-for-the-entire-fall business. I wanted to be wooed and won. Even though he had me the moment I saw him sitting on that shag carpet floor. I wanted him to show me that I was worth putting forth the effort to capture my heart.
We all want that, don’t we? To be pursued? And nobody does that better than Jesus. Let’s consider His pursuit of one particular soul.
John 4:4 tells us, “He had to go through Samaria.” That one verse stirs my heart because I know what’s coming next. Jews avoided Samaritans like the plague—literally. They were a quarantined people, and the Jews kept their distance. And the Samaritans hated the Jews right back.
So it wasn’t because of geography that Jesus “had to go through Samaria” on His way to Galilee, but because His Father told Him to. Jesus reminded the disciples many times that He only did what His Father told Him to do (John 5:19).
You see, there was a woman in Samaria who had been used and abused all her life. She felt less than every man who had thrown her away, as well as every woman who looked the other way. And now she was about to experience something new: being pursued by pure love.
While most women went to the well to draw water for their daily use in the cool of the morning or late in the evening, this woman went at high noon to avoid being snubbed by the other women in town. When she showed up, Jesus was waiting and asked, “Will you give me a drink? (John 4:7). He was breaking the cultural rules by talking to a woman in public and drinking from a Samaritan’s cup. He was willing to cross the man-made rules to set the God-made woman free.
As Jesus engaged her in conversation, He asked her to go get her husband. When she admitted that she didn’t have one, Jesus revealed the sad truth of her life. She’d had five husbands plus one extra. We don’t know why she had been divorced five times.
In those days, a man could divorce his wife if she went outside the home with her hair unbound or spoke to a man in public or just didn’t like her anymore. But whatever the reasons, this was a woman who had been abused, misused, and tossed away by men she had trusted and loved.
Jesus spoke to her of her past without a hint of condemnation or rejection in His voice. As a matter of fact, He applauded her honesty, and commenced to have the longest recorded conversation in the New Testament with this broken woman.
Then Jesus did something amazing. For the first time, He told someone that He was the Messiah. “I, the one speaking to you—I am he” (John 4:26).
This woman, pursued by God, dropped her water bucket, and ran back to town to tell the very people she had avoided about Jesus. Her story holds great promise for any woman who has ever tried to fill the hole in her heart with relationships but come up empty. It is for every single one of us who has ever felt less than because we were tossed away, or others were chosen, and we were not.
I think God made sure this story was included for every woman who has ever felt less than because of rejection, discrimination, or a sullied reputation. And for you…and for me. God’s pursuit began in the Garden of Eden with the words, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) and continued with the words “He had to go through Samaria.” Listen closely. They continue even now.
He pursues you still.
Jesus, thank You for pursuing me. I am caught. I am loved. It is forever. In Your Name, Amen.
This woman pursued by Jesus was the first evangelist in Samaria. What does that say about what God thinks about women? Less than? More than enough? Leave a comment with you answer.
My new book, How Jesus Broke the Rules to Set You Free has been revised and updated! The new title is Never Less Than: Living Empowered, Esteemed, and Equipped When the World Tells You Otherwise. If you’ve ever felt less than because of your past, your present circumstances, or your gender as a woman then this book is for you! This is a message that your daughters and granddaughters need to hear. Click here to learn more. Click here for a FREE download of 25 Ways Jesus Honored Women.
Comments 31
This is beautiful! Thank you for reminding me that I am pursued.
God loves women unconditionally. They are as important as men. God gave women men for companionship and helper. He thinks women are special and a perfect example is the Samaritan woman at the Well.
Love this !! Thank you Sharon❤️
John 4 has been my go to chapter. I was raised Church of Christ and tought I could not be forgiven for divorce and when I remarried I was committing adultery. My eyes were opened to this awesome news that Jesus blood covers ALL my sins. Except blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Thank God for His Word.
Thank You Sharon! This came immediately after I was feeling disrespected, tossed aside, overlooked, and not chosen by my manager at work. Then I read this post and God was speaking directly to me. God always is pursuing me, He loves me forever. He is all I need.
Praise and glory to our God!
Been there way too often. I struggle back and forth between seeking approval and seeking Christ. Only Jesus pursues me for all the right reasons. ❤️🙏🌹
God thinks very highly of us, of me. I know I am loved by my Heavenly Father. His words says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Him……isn’t that something. To me that is amazing. God’s love for us is an like an ocean you can see its beginning but can never see its end. My heart is just swelling up with delight and just simply basking in Gods goodness to know that………. Jesus loves me,
I loved this ! Thank you ! It’s so awesome knowing Jesus pursues me and wants to some time with me.
I loved this ! Thank you ! It’s so awesome knowing Jesus pursues me and wants to spend time with me. I must take time to sit with him instead of rushing past in my business of the day.
I’m so looking forward to reading this book. I will be doing a group in March . I loved your story where Steve asked if you would go with him to games the rest of the year , but your response was no, you wanted to be asked each week . Jesus pursues us daily with a invite to come and sit with him ..but also I can hear his voice and him saying I want to be asked daily to come with you …and he waits with continuing to love us unconditionally and continues to pursue us continually…
There is no better or greater love than this 🙌
Jesus let the woman at the well know and understand that “She was more than enough!” God, please continue to let women feel that they are “more than enough” every day. 💗🙏🏻
This story does indeed show how much God and Jesus thought of women. We were and are highly favored; the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene.
More than. He loves us no matter what our past or present is like. We can also be used by God.
What a perfect message for the first day of February… a month noted for love. ❤️ Thank you, Sharon, for so aptly sharing God’s extraordinary love note by sharing His hot-on-your-heels pursuit straight to heart of one precious Samaritan woman who represents us all.
Many Blessings to you and yours.
Love it.
Jesus is our security, our safe place! Knows all about us and still loves us. Wants a deep relationship with us. We belong to him!
Sharon, this a great story for this season! Love is needed for both Male and Female in the world that we are living in today. God is Love!
Thank you for this timely reminder of my Saviour’s love.My thoughts were taking me down a negative memory lane. I know only Jesus can fulfill all my deepest needs..God bless you
This message on pursuing God really spoke to me. I was in a relationship that I thought was going somewhere. I got really emotionally involved with this guy, but then got my heart broken about a month ago. I really thought he was the one for me. I wanted to give up on love, but I know I need to pursue God, and His will. I know His timing is perfect.
I am More than enough!! 💗 Thank you God
Thank you for such a beautiful message. I needed to hear this and so excited to read your book and pass it onto my daughter.
Everything about this is true for me, everyone that I ever loved or even tried to abandoned me. I been through abuse physical and mental saught canceling but Jesus is the one that set me free and told me he would not leave me. And even though I’m alone ,I am never alone. I have my savior Jesus Christ!
Indeed, as unworthy and sinful. HE still loves me. More than enough……..
Thank you Sharon! You have a beautiful soul from God’s encourager writer! Keep up the good work ☺️👍 All the best Debra Scott
He spoke about her past with no condemnation or rejection… thank you Jesus for pursuing us in spite of our past!
I think Jesus thinks highly of women. He came to earth through an ordinary woman, He talked to those whom no one else would. He chose a woman to reveal who He was.
I think Jesus thinks highly of women. He came to earth through an ordinary woman, He talked to those whom no one else would. He chose a woman to reveal who He was.
Love this account of Jesus reaching out to someone overlooked by “religious people”. Makes me think of the song; “He looked beyond my faults and seen my need.” Praise HIM as he reached out to me too many years ago.
Praise God for His Neverending Pursuing Love!! Some of us so desperately need that at this stage in our lives!! Young or mid-life or past our prime; we are Loved, pursued & Wanted & valued!! Thank you Jesus!!💗🙏🙏🥰
I am so glad to know that I am pursued by my Heavenly Father♥️ The Love that God has for us is Incomparable!!! Thank you Jesus for letting me know that highly favored and loved by you🙌🏾♥️
I am so glad that God pursues us. I can see how God pursued me in my own life.Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 1:6 is my life verse. Both in different circumstances that has given me hope.
I like being pursued even in my romantic life. I am a little old fashioned and believe that men are hunters.