I Am Because You Are August 21, 2025 Devotional

JOHN 4:16-18 |  ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” ¹⁷ The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,’ ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!”

Living in Arizona, with our distinctive desert climate, we become aware of our physical thirsts in a concrete way. We monitor our water intake, watch our exposure on days of high temperature, and carry flasks everywhere to replenish ourselves.

How well do you monitor your emotional thirst? The Samaritan woman mirrors the fundamental thirsts everyone has in their heart. She longs for healing and forgiveness, in light of past mistakes. She longs for intimacy and love, a longing that has been influential in her mistakes. She longs for community and appreciation, a secure standing within her village. She fetches water in the heat of the day lest she encounters her fellow Samaritans at the common well. This choice underlies her isolation.

Which of these longings is strongest for you right now?

Gracious God,

Help me to come to terms with my own longings, to understand my desires, and to align them with Your will and ways.

Amen.