Resting and Waiting
David Roper
John 4:4-14
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34
It was high noon. Jesus, foot-weary from His long journey, was resting beside Jacob’s well. His disciples had gone into the city of Sychar to buy bread. A woman came out of the city to draw water . . . and found her Messiah. The account tells us that she quickly went into the city and invited others to come hear “a man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29).

The disciples came back bringing bread. When they urged Jesus to eat, He said to them, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (v. 34).

Now I ask you: What work had Jesus been doing? He’d been resting and waiting by the well.

I find great encouragement in this story for I am living with physical limitations. This passage tells me that I do not have to scurry about—worrying myself about doing the will of my Father and getting His work done. In this season of life, I can rest and wait for Him to bring His work to me.

Similarly, your tiny apartment, your work cubicle, your prison cell, or your hospital bed can become a “Jacob’s well,” a place to rest and to wait for your Father to bring His work to you. I wonder who He’ll bring to you today? 

Lord, our circumstances can often threaten to overwhelm us. Today, help us to see You in all of life. We are learning to trust You as You do Your work.
If you want a field of service, look around you.
In John 4:4 the Greek text literally says that Jesus had to travel throughout Samaria. He was not just going on a specific errand to meet one specific person. His encounter with the Samaritan woman is about more than just His heart and compassion for the individual. It is about His love and mercy for all who are lost and in need of His grace and forgiveness.