Even Then, God Knew We Needed a Savior
It was easy to see her pain as tears ran down her cheeks. She was hurting, and it was apparent that this pain felt raw, even though in her ten years of life, the divorce was ‘old’ news. The question that prompted the tears had been voiced during a VBS lesson.
What kinds of storms come to our lives?
Think of storms that come to people, not of natural disasters.
The hands went up when the question was asked.
- My friends were angry and fought.
- My nana got sick.
- My mom died of cancer.
- My daddy had two heart attacks.
- My parents got a divorce.
- My dad died when I was one.
At this moment, I saw her tears begin to puddle in the corners of her eyes.
During our VBS lesson, we walked through the narrative of the Samaritan woman at the well, the Scripture that speaks of the woman who chose to go to Jacob’s well in the heat of the day. I had talked about the animosity between Jews and Samaritans and led the class to see that this woman at the well was a sinner, explaining to help them see why she had felt the need to go to the well when the other women would not be present.
Then their hands (the students’) went up, as their heads were filled with questions to ask:
- Why does God allow storms?
- If God loves us, why does He allow bad things to happen?
- Why do people get sick and die?
- Why did God let my parents get a divorce?
- The only true answer I could offer was from Genesis: the fall of man.
“Then the LORD God said,
(Genesis 3: 22-24 NAS)
“Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil;
and now, he might stretch out his hand,
and take also from the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever”—
therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden,
to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
So He drove the man out;
and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Even Then, God Knew We Needed a Savior.
After the questions were voiced and answered, I sensed their hearts were ready to hear the Gospel.
- It was clear to see how they were ready to better understand the truth: We come to receive Jesus through faith.
- It was time to share the A—B—C—found in knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. &
- It was the moment for the students to see the symbolic gift sitting on the table, the one wrapped in paper with the words: Symbolic of God’s Gift of Salvation.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 5: 8 NAS)
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.”
- The Lord loves us right where we are in our sin.
- God’s love is big enough to save us from our sin.
When Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, He spoke about her past sins, and she was amazed that He knew so many intimate details about her, surmising that surely He must be a prophet.
She was right, Jesus was prophetic, but she was also wrong because Jesus is so much more!
God Knew We Needed a Savior.
- The Lord did not say we would not encounter life-storms.
- The Lord said that He would ALWAYS be with those who belong to Him, AS they went through the storms.
“The woman said to Him,
(The Gospel According to John 4: 25-26 NAS)
“I know that Messiah is coming
(He who is called Christ);
when that One comes,
He will declare all things to us.”
Jesus said to her,
“I who speak to you am He.”