He Loves Us, Ashes And All

(5 minutes)

Ashes. 

Our brokenness.  The things we don't like about ourselves that we feel powerless to change.  The things we hide from others. When someone mentions our ashes our face gets flushed, our stomach begins to turn, and our first instinct is to run as far away from that conversation as possible. Our ashes are the only thing we wear that we hope others never see. We do everything we can to avoid situations that might stir up our ashes. Pretty soon our ashes are dictating every move we make. Where we go. What we wear. Where we sit. Who we associate with. What we say and how we say it. Our ashes become our true north in every area of life. 

That's exactly what the Samaritan woman at the well was dealing with the day Jesus embraced her. 

Nobody draws water from the well in the afternoon. It's literally the hottest time of the day. The only reason someone would be going to the well at that time is if their ashes told them to.

I'd like to do something a bit different today. Instead of reading the story, I'd like us to see the story and be immersed in how it felt for this Samaritan woman to have her ashes traded for a beautiful crown. Take a moment and watch this, and then we'll come back together. If you prefer to read the story, you can find it in John 4:5-30. 

Beauty for ashes. Did you feel how Jesus lifted the Samaritan woman's ashes away and gave her a crown of beauty? Jesus literally lifted away her broken perspective of herself and of God, and gave her His very own mind, thoughts, and perspective. With every push away from Him, He embraced her more.  

Ashamed she says, "You picked the wrong person." - the ashes.
And Jesus answers, "I came to Samaria just to meet you. Do you think it's an accident that I'm here in the middle of the day?" - the crown of beauty.

Trembling she says, "I am rejected by others." - the ashes. 
And Jesus answers, "I know, but not by the Messiah." - the crown of beauty. 

This is what an intimate encounter with Yeshua produces. Beauty for ashes.

Wholeness, restored.

Innocence, restored.

Hope, restored. 

I want you to feel this. I want you to feel the exclusive love of Yahweh in this story. And yes, according to the Apostle John, this Samaritan woman was the first person that Jesus revealed Himself to as Messiah. Can you imagine how special that must have been? To feel rejected and unworthy of love and then to encounter the Christ and be the first one He revealed Himself to as Savior of the world. How can I live rejected when Yeshua the Christ has accepted and embraced me in this way? In this one moment, the Samaritan woman at the well experienced metanoia, repentance, her thinking was completely changed. She left her ashes and her water jars at the well, and emerged as a Bride wearing a crown of beauty. 

There is one thing I want us to see when it comes to the Samaritan woman's story:
Jesus was waiting in the place where her ashes told her to go and hide. 

Jesus is waiting in the place where your ashes tell you to go and hide. This is the thing about the Light. He's unwilling to allow even a trace of darkness to exist in our hearts. He's waiting at our well and His greatest desire is to make an exchange with us there: His beauty for our ashes. His thoughts for our thoughts. How He feels about us for how we feel about ourselves. 

It truly is the great exchange. 

We don't deal with ashes by studying ashes. By buying the latest self-improvement book on our ashes. By listening to a podcast about our ashes. By joining a small group about our ashes or by listening to a sermon series all about our ashes. Martin Luther King Jr. was right when he said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." You don't need to dwell upon or analyze your darkness one moment longer. You simply need to introduce it to the Light. It is Light that deals most effectively and effortlessly with removing darkness. 

This can happen as we take a walk with Abba today. This great exchange can happen every time we're in the presence of God. Hope and complete wholeness belong to you. It is the good gift that Abba wants to give you today and everyday. You deserve this. You were never supposed to carry those ashes around. And their voice was never supposed to be the true north in your life. Abba's voice is the only one that should define and direct you. 

Feel Abba's love as you gaze into the eyes of Yeshua and as you embrace what He says about you. It's no accident that He showed up at your well today.

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Worship: "Out Of Hiding" by Steffany Gretzinger & Amanda Cook

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!