John 4:10 (ESV)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

How sad it is that millions upon millions of people—like the Samaritan woman—know neither the Gift nor the Giver. For some, they have been close enough to take hold of both but chose not to. For others, they simply have not heard. If Jesus had not spoken first, this conversation might not have happened. Thank God it did.

There is a great lesson here for all of us, and it reminds me of something I like to call, “Rubber Ducky Evangelism.” Do you remember that children’s game when there are a bunch of rubber duckies in a tub of water and you pick one up and look on the bottom? If there is a number, you win a prize! If not, the adult lets you put that one back and pick up another. You pick until you win…then everyone cheers! A verse we will come to later—John 6:44—reminds us that God is always the one who initiates Gospel movement in a person’s life. “Rubber Ducky Evangelism” simply acts on that truth and challenges you to share as often as possible. You won’t know if there is a “winning number” unless you try, right?

The Samaritan woman was a “duck” with a winning number.

When God is moving in an unbeliever’s life, the Gift and the Giver will become interesting to them. Like the woman at the well, they will want to know more. They will ask questions. They will continue the conversation. Eventually, by God’s grace, they will ask for the Gift and recognize the beauty of the Giver. God moves, but they do, too. His will working in concert with theirs. Have you ever been in a conversation “at the well”? More conversations would go this way—in a spiritual direction—if we would just inject some spiritual comments. Maybe your duck has a winning number. Maybe not. If not today, perhaps in a week or a month or a year. How will you know if you never try?

Spurgeon wraps this up well:

“Holy knowledge is very advantageous; it often is the means of breeding prayer: ‘If you knew… you would have asked… and he would have given.’ Therefore, beloved, let us teach the truth to all who come in our way, for it may be that we, too, shall meet with many of whom it can be said that, if they know what the gift of God is, they will ask for it; and if they ask for it, Christ will give it to them.”