GOD AND MAN RESTING IN ONE ANOTHER
Not only was the Samaritan woman thirsty; she was also restless. In the same way, not only was the Lord thirsty; He was also restless. He came to earth to seek the sinners. The Lord is not at rest yet because He has not yet gained you. He said that He did not have a place to lay His head (Matt. 8:20). He wants to come into your heart. At the same time, you also do not have rest. You are laden with heavy burdens. There is the burden of your family; there is also the burden of your job. You may have the best bed there is, but within you, you cannot rest in peace. You are tired. You do not have rest. This is because you do not have the Lord. The Savior is not at rest, and you are not at rest.
GOD AND MAN BEING FOOD TO EACH OTHER
Here is not only a question of thirst and restlessness, but also a question of hunger. What is hunger? Hunger means that a person needs food within him. The Lord’s food is the sinner, who is you. Our food is the Lord. The Lord is not only the water of life, but the bread of life (John 6:35). Only He can satisfy our thirst and fill our hunger. Only He can remove our restlessness.
THE CONDITION FOR RECEIVING GOD—CONFESSION
By that time, the Samaritan woman realized her need. She began to ask the Lord for the living water. The minute she began asking, something happened. She asked for the living water, but the Lord asked her for her husband. Why did the Lord ask her for her husband? The matter of her husband speaks of the life she lived in private. She told the Lord that she did not have a husband. This was only a half-truth. She was lying by telling the truth. The husband here also signifies sin. Her husband signifies her sins. The Lord wanted her husband. This means that the Lord wanted her to confess her sins. Do you want the living water? The first thing you have to do is to confess your sins. Although a man may not know what kind of sins he has, the Lord nevertheless knows. Cheating, evil thoughts, craftiness in the heart, and lying are all sins. If you do not take your sins to the Lord, you will not have the living water. Have you told lies? If there is one thing you have done that you have never told anyone about, including your parents, your husband, or your wife, you have at least one thing that is not upright. This is sin. The Lord wants to have an exchange with you. He wants you to give Him the husband, while He gives you the living water. You hand over to Him your sins, and the Lord gives to you His salvation. You do not have to tell me or anyone else what your sins are. The Lord is not trying to give you a hard time. But you have to tell Him everything. Concerning this matter, you must have a proper confession before the Lord.
WORSHIP BEING IN SPIRIT AND IN REALITY
When the Samaritan woman saw that the Lord had exposed everything about her private life, she changed the subject of the conversation. She began to talk about the worship of God. The Lord answered her that one must worship with the spirit and in reality. There is no need to worry about the place. The important thing is for one to worship in spirit.
A TESTIMONY OF GOD BECOMING MAN’S SATISFACTION
In 1940, while I was preaching the gospel in Chefoo, a certain person came every day to listen to my preaching. One day he asked to have a time with me. At that time, this person was working in the Customs Department. I told him that it is a very simple thing to be saved. All that a person has to do is to receive Him as the Lord from the heart and to confess his sins to Him. If he does that, he will be saved. This one asked me to pray with him. After I prayed for him, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, save me. I am a sinner." I told him that when he went home, he should stop whatever he was doing to pray and confess to the Lord alone in his own room. After he did this, he slept peacefully. He was indeed saved. After he was saved, immediately he bore a strong testimony. Formerly, he smoked every day. But after he was saved, he was completely freed from cigarettes. He had two colleagues at work. When these two persons offered him cigarettes, he refused them. His colleagues said, "We have tried to quit smoking but could not cut down to less than twenty cigarettes a day. How can you stand not having even one cigarette?" Nevertheless, from that day on, he stopped smoking. Besides this, he also stopped many other evil habits. Many of his colleagues were touched by his testimony.
Friends, God is waiting for you today. He is waiting for you to accept Him. When you accept Him, you will experience a change in your whole being. Please do not refuse today, and accept Him now.
(Messages Given During the Resumption of Watchman Nee's Ministry (2 volume set), Chapter 7, by Watchman Nee/Witness Lee)
