“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” John 4:39
When the theme that’s been forming in your mind collides with a song, that’s when one knows this is what needs to be written today. Someone needs to hear today that God is not far away. God is not angry with you. God is an ever-present help. Like the woman at the well, God is pursuing you in love.
Lauren Daigle’s song “Rescue” is a beautiful mix of truthful lyrics that show a relentless love and true longing to be our deliverance. The lyrics follow, and I have added punctuation for clarity. “You are not hidden. There’s never been a moment you were forgotten. You are not hopeless. Though you have been broken, your innocence stolen, I hear you whisper underneath your breath. I hear your SOS, your SOS. I will send out an army to find you. In the middle of the darkest night, it’s true; I will rescue you. There is no distance that cannot be covered over and over. You’re not defenseless. I’ll be your
shelter; I’ll be your armor. I hear you whisper underneath your breath. I hear your SOS, your SOS.”
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. People will tell you it matters, but God doesn’t say that. God is pursuing you. In unearthly patience, He is pursuing you in love, in redemption, in grace, in mercy. You might feel lonely. You might feel condemned. You might feel so tangled that you can’t be set free. I’m here to tell you these are all lies.
The devil is the master of lies, and he makes them convincing. We believe them because we operate on a limited level. We have a limited amount of patience, forgiveness, energy, grace, kindness, and even love. But we are pursued by a loving God who operates in the limitless.
If you need to hear this today, get out of your own head! Take captive every thought and make it accountable to the Bible. The Word of God is living and active. It penetrates through the lies that we come believe. There is no way you can save yourself. There is no way you can recover from what you’ve done. It’s God’s work in you that transforms. God can and will save/forgive you. God can and will redeem you from where you’ve fallen.
He wants to do this. He’s waiting to do this.
God will never leave you. You might turn your back on Him, but He never leaves. He is the same today, yesterday, and He will be the same tomorrow too. He doesn’t condemn us. His love liberates. It’s the devil who condemns us and makes us feel like we could never be washed clean. Jesus’ blood did the washing, and we can be made white as snow. Jesus tore the veil and sent the Holy Spirit. We have personal access to God, and we have His power abiding within us. If we choose to live in power and in truth, no shackles of sin can keep us bond. Christ came to seek and to save.
And, like the Samaritan woman’s testimony had weight and power, so will yours. Jesus pursued this woman though she had no idea. She found the solution she had been searching for and she shared about it. Once you truly believe Jesus can do and did do the same for you, no one will be able to deny the change in you. Stop running away, and let the sweetest love embrace you, wash you, and remake you. And then tell the world of what He’s done for you.
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:23-25
