Treasury of Faith index

A Moment Of Destiny

by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.

The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this article, without changes or alterations*, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.

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(first published in The Church Herald and Holiness Banner, 02/13/1998)

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A Moment Of Destiny

It happened during some hospital calls. As I walked down the hall and made a left turn, a friend caught my attention.

"I want you to meet someone," he said.

He led me into a room and introduced me to Whitey. Although the man in the bed looked to be in his forties, his hair had turned completely white - hence his nickname. He was dying of cancer.

In my visits with Whitey I had the joy of leading him to Christ and building a supportive relationship with him during his remaining days.

Sometimes I have wondered what would have happened had I made that left turn a few seconds earlier. Would my friend have seen me? Would God have sent someone else to minister to Whitey? Whatever the answers - for Whitey and me it was a moment of destiny.

Jesus and a confused woman had such a moment of destiny. We read about it in John chapter four.

The Lord was traveling through Samaria. It was about noon and He was tired. Being near Sychar, He stopped to rest at Jacob's well while the disciples went grocery shopping.

Soon a local woman arrived to draw water. Jesus started a conversation by asking for a drink.

Observe how Jesus maximized this moment of destiny. He started with water, her immediate focus of attention. From what she knew He skillfully led her to what she did not know.

She raised a cultural barrier. Jesus overcame it by piquing her curiosity and arousing a sense of spiritual need.

"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me a drink; thou wouldest

have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (v. 10).

"If thou knewest." But she didn't know nor care who Jesus was. She was in the presence of God incarnate, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the one who could transform her life and fulfill the deepest longings of her soul, and she was oblivious to it.

She continued talking about water. So Jesus did too. He told her He would give her living water so she would never thirst again. Thus He led her from curiosity to desire.

"Give me this water," she responded.

Then Jesus got personal. "Go, get your husband" (v. 16).

Ouch! That was her sore spot. Jesus zeroed in on her need, the area of her life where she was hurting the most. He had to. Soul surgery is serious business. The Great Physician probes the soul to its core.

"I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus continued, "Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly" (v. 17).

Five husbands! She had tried to find happiness in men, only to be disappointed and hurt again and again.

We do not know this woman's name or the names of the men in her life. But they real people living true-life experiences with all the sin and sorrow of a modern soap opera.

But the one who sees each sparrow fall was watching over her, and her moment of destiny had come. This this thirsty woman went out to do a routine task - take her waterpot to the well. There she met the Master of her life.

At first she tried to avoid the issue. She called Jesus a prophet and tried to divert the conversation to a discussion of religious correctness.

When her deep yearning for the Messiah finally surfaced, Jesus revealed Himself. It was her moment of discovery, of faith, of transformation, of life and joy.

She was so excited she left her waterpot and ran into the city to tell the people that she had found the Christ!