Student Devotion Session 2: As You Go...

Key Verse: John 4:10, "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'”

Opportunity.

Think about that word for second or two. What meanings come to mind? Maybe it means something kind of like good luck, or good fortune. Like, "Jenny's car broke down, giving me the opportunity to be the hero and offer her a ride home." Or maybe it brings to mind the positive possibilities of the future... as in, "Going to college increases the potential for a meaningful job opportunity."

The truth is that both of these meanings are important-especially when it comes to living out God's call to be on mission with Him. Opportunity to make a difference is all around you. And living on mission for God provides you with ample opportunity for impacting the world.

But there is one important thing about opportunity worth mentioning: An opportunity must either be seized or missed. To seize an opportunity is to realize the potential of the moment. To not seize an opportunity is to miss it. Any potential is then lost.

Keep this idea in mind as you read John 4:1-26. That sounds like a lot of scripture to read, but it flows quickly. Why? Because this passage is an amazing retelling of an encounter Jesus had with a woman. But not just any woman. This woman was a Samaritan, and Jesus was a Jew. Why does that matter? Well, Samaritans and Jews literally hated one another. That is one reason Jesus' conservation was so shocking to this woman. The other reason was because during the course of their conservation, the woman figured out that Jesus was the Son of God. Which, you know, is a pretty shocking thing to realize.

Jesus' conservation with the Samaritan woman led to many in her town coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. This couldn't have happened if Jesus had not seized the opportunity to have a meaningful, life-on-life interaction with this woman.

Jesus commanded His followers to live life on His mission. But He did more than that. He followed it up with His actions. Jesus practiced what He preached.

Do you seize opportunities to impact the world in Christ's name? Or do you let them pass by you? What will it take for you to become more committed to using your life to make a difference for Jesus? Pray to God today, asking Him to give you the strength to make the best of the opportunities He puts in your path.