Out of Hiding and Into Joy

Have you ever wanted to just hide? To disappear behind a corner, sweep your past under the rug, or avoid facing difficult truths about yourself? We all have those moments, those aspects of our lives we'd rather keep hidden from the world and even from ourselves. But what if those very hidden places are where true healing and joy can be found?

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well offers a profound illustration of this truth. Here was a woman with a troubled past, ostracized by her community, who went to draw water at the hottest part of the day to avoid encountering others. She had been hiding - from judgment, from shame, from the painful realities of her life. But it was precisely in that moment of hiding that she encountered Jesus, and her life was forever changed.

This encounter teaches us three vital truths about our hidden places and God's redemptive work:

1. Hidden places shrivel our inner and outer worlds

When we try to hide aspects of ourselves - whether it's past mistakes, current struggles, or deep-seated insecurities - we may think we're protecting ourselves. But in reality, we're causing both our inner and outer worlds to shrivel. Internally, we become consumed by shame, anxiety, and the fear of being found out. Externally, we isolate ourselves from authentic relationships and community.

As one poignant quote puts it, "Our hidden places corrode the very part of us that actually believes we are capable of change." By keeping things hidden, we not only cut ourselves off from others but also from the possibility of transformation and growth.

2. Jesus intentionally meets us in those hidden places to bring true healing

The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus doesn't wait for us to have everything together before He comes to us. In fact, He intentionally seeks us out in our hidden, broken places. Just as He "had to go through Samaria" to meet the woman at the well, Jesus pursues us with intentionality and love.

This pursuit often involves gentle confrontation. Jesus lovingly exposes the very things we try to hide, not to shame us, but to heal us. Like a caring father who needs to see his child's wound to treat it properly, Jesus asks us to bring our hidden places into the light of His love.

3. Jesus is far more satisfying than all the wells we run to in our hiding

We all have our "wells" - the places, people, or things we turn to for satisfaction and fulfillment. For the woman at the well, it was a series of relationships. For others, it might be career success, material possessions, addictions, or countless other substitutes. But Jesus offers something far greater - living water that truly satisfies and never runs dry.

As C.S. Lewis beautifully put it: "We are far too easily pleased. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."

The joy and fulfillment found in Jesus are not fleeting moments of satisfaction followed by long-term emptiness. Instead, they are an ever-flowing stream of life, peace, and purpose.

So what does this mean for us today? How do we apply these truths to our own lives?

First, we need to recognize our tendency to hide. What are the areas of your life you're trying to keep in the shadows? What wounds, insecurities, or past mistakes are you attempting to conceal? Acknowledging these hidden places is the first step towards healing.

Second, we must understand that Jesus is actively pursuing us, especially in those hidden places. He's not waiting for us to clean ourselves up or have everything together. He wants to meet us right where we are, in the messiness of our lives. Can you open your heart to His loving pursuit today?

Finally, we're invited to experience the living water Jesus offers. This involves a radical reorientation of our lives - turning away from the broken cisterns we've hewn for ourselves and embracing the fountain of living water that is Christ Himself.

The gospel tells us of a God who created everything for His glory and our joy. Despite our turning away from Him (what the Bible calls sin), He didn't abandon us. Instead, He came towards us in our brokenness through Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again, conquering death and offering us new life.

This isn't just a nice story or one option among many for finding fulfillment. It's a claim about objective reality - that Jesus really lived, died, and rose again, and that this historical fact should impact every aspect of our lives.

Jesus extends an invitation to all of us: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." This is an invitation to leave behind our water jars - all the other wells we've been running to - and drink deeply from the endless supply of joy, peace, and purpose found in Christ.

Are you thirsty today? Are you tired of hiding, of running to wells that never truly satisfy? Take Jesus up on His offer. Through faith in Him alone, not by our own efforts or merits, we can experience the living water He promises. It's a water that doesn't just quench our thirst momentarily but transforms us from the inside out, healing our hidden places and bringing us into the light of God's love.

In a world that often feels broken and unsatisfying, where we're tempted to hide our true selves and settle for less, Jesus offers us so much more. He offers us Himself - the source of all joy, the healer of all wounds, the one who can turn our hidden places of shame into wellsprings of life. Will you drink deeply from His living water today?

This article used generative AI via Pulpit AI to transform one of Chris' sermons into this article. The content is original to CDM, with some help from Pulpit AI adapting it into article form.