Faith in Focus: Clear Vision Through the Word

WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2025

TEXT: JOHN 4:27-38

27: Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28: Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,

29: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

30: They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31: Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32: But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33: Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

34: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

35: Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

36: Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

37: Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.

38: I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: ARE YOUR PRIORITIES PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL?

A person’s top priority can either be God or money, physical or spiritual, temporal or eternal but cannot be both. The surprised disciples rejoin Jesus with a food flask but it is obvious that His priority is not physical food and water, though still tired and thirsty.

Jesus taught the disciples about His own priorities. Jesus’ disciples think of physical food as quickly as the Jewish leaders thought of the physical temple building. Nicodemus thought of physical birth and the Samaritan woman thought of physical water. But Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work.”

In Africa, many men of God see members as ATM machines to service their extravagant lifestyles but Jesus saw the Samaritan town as a field ready for harvest, one where the planting and harvesting of the fruit of the good news will happen at the same time.

In Nigeria, the two most successful industries are politics and religion. Sadly, the people are the commodities.

QUESTION: Are your priorities God's kingdom and His righteousness?

PRAYER: Have mercy, oh Lord, for our priorities are no longer in tandem with Your priorities. Fill us with your Holly Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.