Devotion for Postponed Women’s Retreat 11/21/2020
by Tracy Bartlett
Our Women’s Retreat scheduled for November 21st was based on John 4:1-42, which is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. So, let’s review the story and think about what was happening in this woman’s life.
During the time period of this story, the women of the village gathered their daily water in the morning from the local well. This particular well, known as Jacob’s Well, was probably fairly deep, so getting water from it was not an easy task. You can imagine that the women would help each other so it would be easier for everyone. Also, throughout history, especially during times that required hard physical labor to survive, any gatherings were looked upon as a time to socialize and share the latest news.
However, at the outset of this passage, the Samaritan woman was at Jacob’s Well during mid-day when the sun would have been very hot and when no one else was there. Why would she do this? There was no one there to help her with her burden of getting the water out of the well. No one to interact with. She was alone, as she was every day at this time. We find out shortly the reason for this. She has had 5 husbands and was currently living with a sixth man that was not her husband. This would have been scandalous! Maybe the other women did not want to associate with her or maybe they attacked her with their words. Maybe she was isolated and alone, even in a large group of women. Maybe she had been abused by the men in her life, but took the shame upon herself rather than placing it on them because women were held in a very low regard at that time. Regardless of what led to it, the Samaritan woman found it more desirable to struggle on her own than to deal with the others.
Can you identify with what she was feeling? Have you ever felt isolated or alone, even in a group of people? Have you been the object of ridicule or scorn? Have you been abused in some form by those in your life that should have loved and cared for you? Have you found it to be more desirable to struggle on your own than to deal with other people?
Consider the toll this takes on a person day after day. The Samaritan woman probably felt weary, burdened, beat down, alone, rejected, and hopeless. And here she was, once again, going through her daily struggles with no end in sight.
The only difference this day was that a man was sitting by the well when she got there. This man, who was quite obviously a Jew, asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. Talk about scandalous! The Jews hated the Samaritans and had no dealings with them at all. The Jews frequently went far out of their way to even avoid passing through Samaria when traveling. Not only that, but this man, as we learn from other parts of Scripture, was a rabbi. According to bible-history.com, there was great contempt for women and “the rabbis taught that women were not to be saluted, or spoken to in the street, and they were not to be instructed in the law or receive an inheritance.”
Why then was this rabbi here where only women went? And why was he speaking to this woman who was a Samaritan? And most importantly, who was this rabbi?
This man, this rabbi was none other than Jesus of Nazareth. Through His conversation with the Samaritan woman, He revealed to her that He knew specific details about her life even though He had never met her; that He can provide the living water that we are all thirst for; that He is greater than Jacob their beloved ancestor; that He can provide everlasting life; and that He is the long-awaited Messiah. He also told her that God is looking for those who worship Him in spirit and in truth, not in a specific location or by a specific ceremony or tradition. In response to all of this, the Samaritan woman left her pot at the well, ran to town and told the men about her interaction with Jesus. Many people of her town believed and were saved during the two days that Jesus stayed in the town. Their lives and their eternity were changed forever because the Samaritan woman did not keep the good news of Jesus to herself, but shared it with all those she knew.
What does this mean for you? It means that Jesus changes lives. He elevated the place of women in society so that we can now be equally taught and used for His Kingdom (Galatians 3:28). He knows all about the details of our lives (Psalm 139:3) and understands all that we are feeling and going through (Hebrews 4:15). He can meet all of our needs (Philippians 4:19) and be our friend (John 15:15-16). He can forgive us of all our sins (1 John 1:9) and redeem us from whatever our past may be (Isaiah 44:22). He can give us eternal life through His death on the cross and His resurrection (John 3:16).
If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, thank Him for willingly dying a horrific death in your place to pay for each of your sins. And then, be like the Samaritan woman and tell everyone you know so that they, too, can know The One who gives eternal life.
If you have not already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? The Bible tells us that today is the day of our salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). None of us are guaranteed tomorrow or even the next minute. While your life may not become all sunshine and roses (John 16:33), the Lord will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He will use your difficult times for His glory and your ultimate good (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12), and when your days on earth are done, you will spend eternity with Him.
by Tracy Bartlett
Our Women’s Retreat scheduled for November 21st was based on John 4:1-42, which is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. So, let’s review the story and think about what was happening in this woman’s life.
During the time period of this story, the women of the village gathered their daily water in the morning from the local well. This particular well, known as Jacob’s Well, was probably fairly deep, so getting water from it was not an easy task. You can imagine that the women would help each other so it would be easier for everyone. Also, throughout history, especially during times that required hard physical labor to survive, any gatherings were looked upon as a time to socialize and share the latest news.
However, at the outset of this passage, the Samaritan woman was at Jacob’s Well during mid-day when the sun would have been very hot and when no one else was there. Why would she do this? There was no one there to help her with her burden of getting the water out of the well. No one to interact with. She was alone, as she was every day at this time. We find out shortly the reason for this. She has had 5 husbands and was currently living with a sixth man that was not her husband. This would have been scandalous! Maybe the other women did not want to associate with her or maybe they attacked her with their words. Maybe she was isolated and alone, even in a large group of women. Maybe she had been abused by the men in her life, but took the shame upon herself rather than placing it on them because women were held in a very low regard at that time. Regardless of what led to it, the Samaritan woman found it more desirable to struggle on her own than to deal with the others.
Can you identify with what she was feeling? Have you ever felt isolated or alone, even in a group of people? Have you been the object of ridicule or scorn? Have you been abused in some form by those in your life that should have loved and cared for you? Have you found it to be more desirable to struggle on your own than to deal with other people?
Consider the toll this takes on a person day after day. The Samaritan woman probably felt weary, burdened, beat down, alone, rejected, and hopeless. And here she was, once again, going through her daily struggles with no end in sight.
The only difference this day was that a man was sitting by the well when she got there. This man, who was quite obviously a Jew, asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. Talk about scandalous! The Jews hated the Samaritans and had no dealings with them at all. The Jews frequently went far out of their way to even avoid passing through Samaria when traveling. Not only that, but this man, as we learn from other parts of Scripture, was a rabbi. According to bible-history.com, there was great contempt for women and “the rabbis taught that women were not to be saluted, or spoken to in the street, and they were not to be instructed in the law or receive an inheritance.”
Why then was this rabbi here where only women went? And why was he speaking to this woman who was a Samaritan? And most importantly, who was this rabbi?
This man, this rabbi was none other than Jesus of Nazareth. Through His conversation with the Samaritan woman, He revealed to her that He knew specific details about her life even though He had never met her; that He can provide the living water that we are all thirst for; that He is greater than Jacob their beloved ancestor; that He can provide everlasting life; and that He is the long-awaited Messiah. He also told her that God is looking for those who worship Him in spirit and in truth, not in a specific location or by a specific ceremony or tradition. In response to all of this, the Samaritan woman left her pot at the well, ran to town and told the men about her interaction with Jesus. Many people of her town believed and were saved during the two days that Jesus stayed in the town. Their lives and their eternity were changed forever because the Samaritan woman did not keep the good news of Jesus to herself, but shared it with all those she knew.
What does this mean for you? It means that Jesus changes lives. He elevated the place of women in society so that we can now be equally taught and used for His Kingdom (Galatians 3:28). He knows all about the details of our lives (Psalm 139:3) and understands all that we are feeling and going through (Hebrews 4:15). He can meet all of our needs (Philippians 4:19) and be our friend (John 15:15-16). He can forgive us of all our sins (1 John 1:9) and redeem us from whatever our past may be (Isaiah 44:22). He can give us eternal life through His death on the cross and His resurrection (John 3:16).
If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, thank Him for willingly dying a horrific death in your place to pay for each of your sins. And then, be like the Samaritan woman and tell everyone you know so that they, too, can know The One who gives eternal life.
If you have not already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? The Bible tells us that today is the day of our salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). None of us are guaranteed tomorrow or even the next minute. While your life may not become all sunshine and roses (John 16:33), the Lord will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He will use your difficult times for His glory and your ultimate good (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12), and when your days on earth are done, you will spend eternity with Him.
UPDATE 11/18/2020
Women's Retreat - POSTPONED
It is with deepest regret that I must announce that the Women's Retreat scheduled for 11/21 at The Storehouse is postponed. Governor Wolf and Secretary of Health Levine released new mandates that go into effect Friday.
(https://lancasteronline.com/news/health/pennsylvania-s-new-covid-travel-restrictions-and-mask-requirements-what-you-need-to-know/article_8d1325d0-1ca8-5719-90b0-4f94729febda.html)
Please know that we did not arrive at this decision lightly or quickly. It involved much discussion, consideration of different viewpoints, and prayer.
As much as we did not want to do this, God is in control and knew what would be happening at this time. Perhaps there is someone who needed to be at the retreat who was unable to attend this weekend. Or maybe there is a different reason why it was not to be this weekend. Regardless, God is sovereign and we can trust His timing! We do not need to know His reasons for what He allows.
if you registered for the retreat, you will be sent an email/text with a new date for the retreat as soon as a decision is made. In the meantime, do not be discouraged or disheartened. What the enemy means for evil by causing the retreat to be postponed, God will use for good (Genesis 50:20). Use the time on Saturday that we would have been at the retreat to focus on the Lord - read His Word, sing praises to Him, worship Him for who He is, memorize a new verse and ponder its meaning, show His love to another. The options are endless. Look for a devotion from me as well in your email/text on Saturday.
Remember that we can worship the Lord no matter what difficulty we are going through simply because of Who He is. Our circumstances do not change who God is and that He is worthy to be praised! Psalm 145:3 - Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
Praying for each one of you and that The Lord will allow us to meet in His timing for this retreat!
Your sister in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Tracy
Women's Retreat - POSTPONED
It is with deepest regret that I must announce that the Women's Retreat scheduled for 11/21 at The Storehouse is postponed. Governor Wolf and Secretary of Health Levine released new mandates that go into effect Friday.
(https://lancasteronline.com/news/health/pennsylvania-s-new-covid-travel-restrictions-and-mask-requirements-what-you-need-to-know/article_8d1325d0-1ca8-5719-90b0-4f94729febda.html)
Please know that we did not arrive at this decision lightly or quickly. It involved much discussion, consideration of different viewpoints, and prayer.
As much as we did not want to do this, God is in control and knew what would be happening at this time. Perhaps there is someone who needed to be at the retreat who was unable to attend this weekend. Or maybe there is a different reason why it was not to be this weekend. Regardless, God is sovereign and we can trust His timing! We do not need to know His reasons for what He allows.
if you registered for the retreat, you will be sent an email/text with a new date for the retreat as soon as a decision is made. In the meantime, do not be discouraged or disheartened. What the enemy means for evil by causing the retreat to be postponed, God will use for good (Genesis 50:20). Use the time on Saturday that we would have been at the retreat to focus on the Lord - read His Word, sing praises to Him, worship Him for who He is, memorize a new verse and ponder its meaning, show His love to another. The options are endless. Look for a devotion from me as well in your email/text on Saturday.
Remember that we can worship the Lord no matter what difficulty we are going through simply because of Who He is. Our circumstances do not change who God is and that He is worthy to be praised! Psalm 145:3 - Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
Praying for each one of you and that The Lord will allow us to meet in His timing for this retreat!
Your sister in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Tracy
Who: All women
What: A women's retreat to learn about worshiping The Lord during the difficult times in our
lives.
Where: The Storehouse Community, 3845 Buchanan Trail West, Greencastle, PA
When: November 21, 2020 check-in begins at 8:00am
Why: Because The Lord is worthy of our praise no matter what!
Fee: $10 to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch
What: A women's retreat to learn about worshiping The Lord during the difficult times in our
lives.
Where: The Storehouse Community, 3845 Buchanan Trail West, Greencastle, PA
When: November 21, 2020 check-in begins at 8:00am
Why: Because The Lord is worthy of our praise no matter what!
Fee: $10 to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch
Registration for the Women's Retreat is open until Friday, November 13, 2020.
All attendees must register for the event here.
All attendees must register for the event here.
|
Speakers for the conference ~ Melissa Miller, Tracy Bartlett, Anita Slemp, and Rebecca McKenzie.
|
Breakfast will be provided by The Bean and Biscuit Coffeehouse
|
|
~ Keep checking back for new and updated information ~
|