Jesus Met a Woman at the Well

Have you ever felt that you weren’t seen by God? That He was distant, unaware of your life? The woman at the well knew that feeling. She carried shame and brokenness, trying to avoid others by drawing water at the hottest part of the day. Yet Jesus went out of His way to meet her there.

Jesus still meets people right where they are. He did this with a handful of Bangladeshi refugees while I was on a mission trip in India in 2019.

Jesus knows our hearts and the details of our lives. Nothing is a surprise to Him, even the hardships. Sometimes God uses others, like you and me, to bring awareness of Himself. He does this so that people have an opportunity to hear the message of Jesus.

My team and I were on a Jesus Film Project mission trip to India. We visited Bangladeshi refugees who lived in poverty along train tracks. They followed one of the major religions of their country. Only the women refugees in one family engaged with our team, as the men stayed away and observed.

“We were wondering if you have time to watch a short film?” a member of my team asked the women. Four generations of women lived together under a tarp. They spoke Hindi, the language our translators used. We used an app to show them a short film and talked about its spiritual meaning.

I shared how God met me with His presence and peace though hardships as a college student. He spoke to my heart and said, “Sarah, I‘m here and I’m with you, and I have a plan for you, but I need you to trust Me.”

I shared that message with the refugee women that God has a plan for them, but they need to trust God too.

We then guided them through a spiritual conversation using the GodTools app. We shared the gospel with the women and asked if any of them would like to surrender their lives to Jesus. All four women of various ages, from six to 50, raised their hands! They all prayed to receive Christ that day.

There are parts of your story that will resonate with others. Listen to their story first and then talk about how Jesus came into your story. Personalize your response based on what they share.

When the woman at the well met Jesus, she ran back to her town and said, “Come and see the man who knows everything about me!” God transformed her life, and out of that joy she longed for others to know Him too.

We prayed that these women, like the woman at the well, would share the hope of Jesus with others. Maybe after we left, they shared the message of love and truth that had touched their hearts with other refugees.

Application Questions:

• Have you surrendered your hardships to God? What does it look like to surrender your needs to God?
• You don’t have to travel overseas to engage with someone or a group of people from another cultural background. Are you prepared to share the gospel with someone of a different cultural background? What might you say?

Prayer:

"Thank you, Jesus, for caring about the details of my life. When hardships prevail, You see me and hear my prayers. You know Me and understand my needs. Thank You for pursuing me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen."

Sarah Olsen
Orlando, USA
Jesus Film Project