Known, Woven, Written: Finding Your Identity in Psalm 139
Before the World Spoke, God Did
You were never an accident. Before anyone had the chance to define you, God had already written your story.
At Trees of Hope, we host a monthly gathering called The Watering. It’s a simple space where women can come together for worship, encouragement, and time in God’s Word.
The heart behind The Watering is rooted in a simple truth: healing and spiritual growth don’t happen in isolation, and they rarely happen in a hurry.
Many of the women who gather with us love Jesus deeply. They are serving, parenting, leading, and faithfully showing up in their communities. And yet, many of us can still find ourselves tired, stretched thin, or quietly running on empty.
Sometimes that exhaustion comes from the weight of life. Sometimes it comes from self-reliance or carrying responsibilities God never asked us to carry.
Either way, the result can be the same.
We end up thirsty.
The Watering exists as a place where women can come and be refreshed—through worship, through community, and through returning again and again to the truth of God’s Word.
Known, Woven, Written
At our previous gathering, we spent time reflecting on Psalm 139.
We talked about how identity is often shaped by the voices around us. Some of us grew up hearing words of affirmation and belonging. Others learned to measure our value through performance, achievement, or the approval of others.
Psalm 139 reminds us of something powerful.
Before the world had anything to say about us, God had already spoken.
We are known.
We are woven.
We are written.
Our identity was not meant to be determined by how others respond to us, how successful we appear, or how well we perform.
It was written by the God who created us.
And yet, even when we know that truth, many of us still find ourselves returning to wells that cannot truly satisfy.
The Woman at the Well
During our first Watering gathering, we spent time in John chapter 4, the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. To read that blog, click here.
Scripture tells us something fascinating about this moment.
It says that Jesus had to go through Samaria.
That detail matters because most Jews avoided Samaria altogether due to deep cultural and religious tensions. But Jesus intentionally traveled there.
Why?
Because there was a woman waiting at a well.
When she arrives, she comes alone in the middle of the day. Most women would have drawn water in the early morning or evening together, but she comes at noon.
The implication is clear.
She is isolated.
And yet before she says a single word, Jesus sees her.
He sees her story.
He sees her thirst.
And He meets her right where she is.
Then Jesus offers her something completely different than what she came for.
Living Water.
He tells her that anyone who drinks ordinary water will become thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water He gives will never thirst in the same way again.
The Wells We Return To
For the Samaritan woman, her well appears to be relationships.
She has been married five times, and now she is living with a man who is not her husband. Her story reveals repeated loss and disappointment.
She keeps returning to relationships hoping they will finally satisfy the longing inside her.
But they never do.
And this is where the story begins to meet us.
Because every one of us has wells we are tempted to draw from.
For some women it may be relationships. For others it may be motherhood, ministry, productivity, or being needed.
For me, one of those wells has often been capability.
Being the one who can get things done. Being the strong one who can handle what’s in front of me.
And if I’m honest, there has been a quiet belief underneath that says if I keep everything together, I will feel secure.
But capability can easily turn into self-reliance.
And self-reliance quietly replaces dependence on Jesus.
Life keeps moving forward. Things get done.
But it still doesn’t satisfy.
When Old Lies Surface
I shared a personal moment from a recent event where I suddenly felt overlooked and unsure of myself.
Nothing dramatic had happened. But internally I could feel insecurity rising.
And it revealed something important.
Even though I know the truth about my identity in Christ, there are still moments where my confidence can become tied to how people receive me—whether I feel included, noticed, or valued in a room.
That realization wasn’t meant to shame me.
It simply revealed something that still needed to be rooted more deeply in truth.
What Mold Can Teach Us
There is a passage in the Old Testament where God gives instructions for what to do if mold appears in a house.
Instead of ignoring it, the priest was instructed to examine the house carefully. If necessary, parts of the wall had to be scraped away and replaced before the house could be considered clean again.
At first glance, it seems like a strange detail in Scripture.
But it offers a powerful picture.
Mold grows in hidden places.
And if it’s ignored, it slowly spreads.
In the same way, old lies about our identity can remain hidden beneath the surface of our hearts. We may not notice them until something small exposes them.
But those moments are not evidence that we are failing.
They are invitations for God to bring those hidden places into the light so He can heal them.
God doesn’t expose things to shame us.
He exposes them to restore us.
When Jesus Reveals Himself
One of the most remarkable parts of the story in John 4 is when Jesus plainly reveals that He is the Messiah.
And who does He reveal this to?
A Samaritan.
A woman.
Someone carrying complicated history.
Her story is not the end of her identity.
When she realizes who Jesus is, she leaves her water jar behind and runs back to town telling others: “Come and see the man who told me everything I ever did.”
Notice something important.
She doesn’t center her story on the details of her past.
She centers it on Jesus.
Jesus Still Meets Women at Wells
This story reminds us of something deeply encouraging.
Jesus still meets thirsty women at wells.
He meets us in ordinary routines and quiet survival. He meets us when we are tired, discouraged, or returning again to things that cannot truly satisfy.
And His invitation remains the same.
Come and drink.
Not once.
Not occasionally.
But daily.
Because when we draw from Him, the water does not run dry.
Join Us at The Watering
If you are longing for a place to slow down, reconnect with God, and build community with other women, we would love to see you at the next Watering gathering.
The Watering takes place on the last Saturday of every month at 9:30 AM at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in the Community Room.
It is a simple space for worship, encouragement, and honest conversation where women can come as they are and be refreshed by God’s Word and by one another.
You don’t have to have everything figured out.
You just have to be willing to come thirsty.
