Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: John 4:1-43

Jesus certainly knew how to give people the gift of quality time.

In John 4 He gave quality time to His disciples as they walked the long, dusty roads to Sychar in Samaria. Then, while they went into the town to purchase food, Jesus positioned Himself at the local well, simply waiting for a divine appointment that had been set up by the Holy Spirit. When a local woman came to draw water, Jesus engaged her in a Spirit-led conversation, patiently answered her questions, shrewdly avoided her “red herrings”, and gently yet firmly led the conversation towards the painful issue that separated her from an experience of God. Jesus listened to her throughout their time together with absolute attention and deep perception.

When the penny finally dropped for her and she ran off to the town to call others to meet Jesus, He once again spent quality time with the disciples, and even sacrificed eating his meal in order to help them to understand what He had been doing, talking to the woman.

When the people of Sychar first opened their hearts and minds to Jesus in response to the woman’s testimony, and then later opened their town and their homes to Him, He lingered for a full two days, spending quality time in ministering to them and teaching them.

Time is one of the greatest assets we humans are granted, so let’s be like Jesus and spend ours on quality connection to others.

Lord, please show me the opportunities I have today to be fully present to others. Help me, in those moments, to be a channel of Your love by spending quality time with them. Amen.