John 4:3-7
” He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph ; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  There came a woman of Samaria to draw water.”

I LOVE this story!!!

I was led to do a little research on the History of the people and their beliefs, and this well. I hope that it may be of some use to you.
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(Historic info found at www.bible-history.com)
The name of Samaritans was first found in the Book of Kings, relating Nablus on Mt. Gerizim and in Holon. The name of Samaritans means conservative people.

HISTORY:

THE PEOPLE
According to Jewish tradition and the Bible, the modernday Samaritans are descendants of foreign peoples who were brought into ancient Israel after the Assyrians conquered and drove the Judeans out in 701 B.C. The Samaritans, however, trace their ancestry to remnants of the Judean population who remained in Samaria following the conquest. Recent scholarship tends to support the Samaritan view. With the return of the Judean exiles from Babylonia in the fifth century B.C., a break developed between the Judeans and the Samaritans, resulting, in part, from the Samaritans’ refusal to accept new religious texts and interpretations. At about this time, the Samaritans began calling themselves “Shomeronim” (Hebrew for “to conserve”) in reference to their adherence to traditional religious beliefs and practices. Barred by the Jews from participating in the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, the Samaritans, in the fourth century B.C., built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, overlooking Nablus. The temple was destroyed in 128 B.C.; a new one was built, and it too was destroyed, in A.D. 486.

THEIR BELIEF
Samaritans believe in one God, that Moses is the only Prophet, that only the first books of the Bible (the Torah) are authoritative, that Mount Gerizim is sacred, and that there will be a future time of messianic revival. They celebrate most major Jewish Holy Days and festivals, although their practices, such as the ritual slaughter of a lamb at Passover (Pesach) and kneeling in prayer, do not conform to those of modern Judaism.

THE WELL OF JACOB
(John 4:5, 6). This is one of the few sites in Palestine about
which there is no dispute. It was dug by Jacob, and hence its
name, in the “parcel of ground” which he purchased from the sons
of Hamor (Gen. 33:19). It still exists, but although after
copious rains it contains a little water, it is now usually
quite dry. It is at the entrance to the valley between Ebal and
Gerizim, about 2 miles south-east of Shechem. It is about 9 feet
in diameter and about 75 feet in depth, though in ancient times
it was no doubt much deeper, probably twice as deep. The digging
of such a well must have been a very laborious and costly
undertaking.
Other places I researched said that this well was highly used during Jesus time, not only as a good source of water but it was famous because of it’s history.

LOCATION Sychar
This town is about 35-40 miles north of Judea and about 40-45 miles south of Galilee, so it is almost exactly half way on Jesus’s Journey to Galilee.
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STORY
Ok lets get back to the story……
John 4:6-7
Jesus, after travailing a few days on foot, reached the town of Sychar, about the sixth hour (noon). So picture the mall, in the fast food market area, at lunch time on the weekend, that is probably close to what the crowd was that afternoon at the well of Jacob. Yet notice in the story that it does not mention any other people, just this one woman that approaches to draw water.

Why did Jesus choose this woman out of so many? Or did he?

John 6:44-45
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’
Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.”

I have heard it said that Jesus is always waiting for us at our greatest point of need.
Notice that it is Jesus sitting , waiting  beside the well. The woman comes to where he is waiting. Think about that!

HEART TO HEART
What are our needs? What are our Physical Needs?
-Financial  (bills, debt, and so on….)
-Relational  (marriage, children, friends, and family)
-Health  (any physical issue, sickness, pain, injury, anything)
-Mental  (doubt, believing lies, torment)
-Emotional  (Discouragement, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness)

For the next several days lets spend some time examining our lives, asking the Lord about our needs, what burdens are we carrying? If you have time journal any thought you have. Some of us work outside the house, what are the burdens that we carry with our work, Some of us are stay at home Mom’s, what burdens are we carrying with our work in the home?

Dear LORD
Thank you for your Holy Spirit, thank you for the helper that he is! I ask you to continue to teach and lead us through your Spirit, continue to open our eyes, soften our hearts, and draw us to your Son just as you did with this woman at the well. Thank you that you first loved us! Protect us all from the tempter, continually light our path. Please give us your strength to endure this week and the weeks to come as we seek you in our lives. Be near, O Lord be near! In Jesus Name, Amen.

I felt led to these this morning, I hope that they will be of some encouragement :)

Psalms 31:24
“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait on the LORD.”

Psalms 34:18
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

~C