April 27, 2022

Lesson 6 of 6

The last person the Samaritan Woman expected to see was a Jewish man at the well. This was her quiet time … that one moment in the day when she could get away from the stench of her sin … that one moment she didn’t need to worry about women mocking her … telling her how cheap she’d become … telling her she was no good … she was filth … many swearing to have nothing to do with her.

As she marches forward in the noonday heat, she’s encouraged to go one more step before resting at the foot of the well. After propping her back against the hot bricks, she hears footsteps then a massive shadow blots out the sun. She tries to make out the individual, but she can barely see his face. Overwhelmed, hairs raising on the back of her neck, she wonders who he might be and why is a Jew at the well at this time of the day? Will he insult her? Will he permit her to draw water and return home without incident?

It must have been an awe-inspiring encounter.

What if the Samaritan Woman had restricted the coming Messiah to that of a King donned in fine clothing with a scepter in his hand?

Where is the plan for salvation for her? How does she answer the call? Would she recognize the Savior?

We are a wretched generation, always looking for signs and wonders to prove God exist, only to disprove the very wonders we used to validate him. Forever changing our expectations to bigger and grandeur benchmarks.

Isn’t that exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees did to Jesus? If only you would perform a miraculous sign. If only you would rescue yourself Jesus and come down from the cross, then we would believe. And when he didn’t … Ha! Look at Him! He can’t even save himself. (Mark 15:29-31)

It takes faith to believe Jesus is the Son of God. It takes faith to believe in the one you cannot see.

Just like us, the Samaritan Woman believed and relied on herself for too many years. Told herself a million times, I can handle it. Marrying one man after another in search of happiness. Never reaching her goal. It wasn’t until Jesus spiritually rescued her that she was able to leave her sinful world behind and find rest in the Christ. Can you imagine what it must have been like … how invigorating it must have felt to tell the man in her bed to BEAT IT!

You have pursued careers, worked tirelessly in your home, are well-read; and have lost more friends than you care to admit, leaving you lonely and abandoned. Some of you don’t know what to do with yourselves and are walking aimlessly through your journey on this earth. Several of you are people-pleasers, always living in fear of not making everyone happy.

Though the Samaritan Woman wanted to be loved and at peace, time and time again love and peace eluded her. She was an over-achiever, a perfectionist who was convinced if she perfected her methods the right man would come along and things would be good. She was trapped in the same old sinful patterns year after year; trapped in her own schemes to be like those around her–married with a family. Her sinful behavior placed her on a collision course that would delve her deeper into the abyss. Never ever self-reflecting long enough to make needed adjustments. Probably marrying the same kind of man every … single … time.

We’re all like hamsters on a running wheel …. running, running, running … going nowhere fast.

The Messiah has a message for you:

“I, who speak to you, am he.” (John 4:26)

And,

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

When was the last time you were at the well?

Has the world overcome you?

Are your hands in too many fires?

Is your husband wearing you out?

Have family issues become too much to bear?

Who is this Messiah who offers you redemption? (Read Isaiah 53:1-2)

Do. You. Know. Him?

Let the Word of God describe him for you as Jesus claims to be God in this passage:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” (John 10:27-33)

Jesus is described again in Hebrews 2:14-18:

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

During your prayer time, also read Romans 8:1-39.

These passages of scripture describe our Lord, explain his character, and expresses his profound love for us.

Jesus in all his magnificence was both man and God.

I describe him this way:

His humanity, coequal with yours

His divinity, exposed everything

His power, unlocked death’s chamber

His spirit, alive among the dead

His words, everlasting life

His ascension, endless hope.

The Samaritan Woman didn’t know any of this. Not at the time.

But later … after her encounter with Jesus at the well, she did not hesitate to cry out the Messiah’s message. She couldn’t help herself. She didn’t stop to question if people would believe her or not. She didn’t contemplate the man left in her bed. She didn’t hesitate to leave her water jug behind. And she didn’t think once about the rumors that might spread about her talking … once again … to a strange man.

The Samaritan Woman was on a mission. A spiritual mission. And nothing would hinder the delight she found in the Lord.

When was the last time you visited the well and engaged in a conversation with God?

If you keep dissecting the conversation between the Samaritan Woman and Jesus, you will notice a battle between worldly concerns and spiritual fulfillment. Physical thirst v. spiritual thirst.

Notice how the intrigue of their conversation deepens the moment the Samaritan Woman makes a plea for this living water Jesus offers her.

“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’ He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.'” (John 4:15-18)

Why would Jesus change the subject from living water to a question about her husband?

For there to be reconciliation to our Holy Father, the Samaritan Woman had to become aware of her sin so that awareness would bring about repentance.

Are you aware of your sin? Have you repented?

Turn to Ezekiel 14:6. It reads:

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!'”

Let’s read Romans 3:19-24:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Also, in Acts 17:30, it reads:

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

No matter how ignorant or well-meaning this woman might have been, the way to salvation is the same for everyone. Don’t get caught up in this idea of people being good and dismiss the biblical truth that all are lost if they do not turn away from their wicked ways, repent, and be baptized into Christ. (Romans 1:18-20)

Let me ask–Why is the gospel good enough for you to obey, but insufficient for others? Why move God’s commands like a slide-ruler because you’ve run across a very good person? His rules are what they are. No one is given a free pass because of their goodness. Everyone has sinned. (Romans 3:23)

I have another question: Would the Samaritan Woman fully understand the kind of water Jesus was offering had he not made her recall her sinful life?

I don’t think so.

Attention had to be drawn to the way she lived and contrasted with what Jesus had to offer her.

Did she immediately understand?

No. He had to reveal his divinity by exposing his knowledge of her life.

And it was then that she became amazed at his words and believed.

Divine healing begins when your soul is laid bare and fully exposed during your confession. This is a shameful experience. Once you repent from the heart and obey God’s instructions to be baptized into Christ, divine healing covers you in forgiveness and righteousness. Once God’s truth pricks the puss infecting your soul, you will experience healing and peace. You have no more hurdles to cross. No more tap dancing is required. Excuses are no longer needed to cover your nakedness because you are constantly covered by the blood of Jesus.

Like the Samaritan Woman, you rejoice and become so giddy with excitement that you can’t wait to tell all who will hear of the salvation you received.

The Samaritan Woman didn’t come seeking this living water. She came to a well constructed by her forefathers–an earthly and traditional place–to draw upon water to quench a physical thirst. Jesus came to quench a spiritual thirst … a thirst her soul had been craving for many years … a thirst that could not be satisfied with physical water.

When was the last time you engaged in a conversation with the Lord and drank from his everlasting water?

What do you seek? To recapture your traditions? To safeguard them?

Think on this: If the woman at the well had been too focused on Jesus being a Jew, she would have run away from him before he spoke a word. If she runs, she misses the message. If she misses the message, she misses an opportunity to drink his everlasting water.

More often than not, we come to God with open hands and open mouths, wanting more … failing to spend time in thanksgiving. We prop ourselves up with outside stimuli and engage in conversations that trigger a competitive spirit. We have a knack of trading his spiritual gifts for stingy tithes. Giving him only ten minutes out of a twenty-four-hour day. We’re rebellious. Disgruntled. Ungrateful. Pious. Complainers. Gossipers. Too self-reliant and self-righteous to acknowledge all blessings come from God.

God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to shed his blood because lambs and bulls and pigeons could not take away man’s transgressions. God allows you to give from the heart rather than tie you down to a tenth of your earnings. Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. He paid a debt he did not owe. We owed a debt we could not pay.

He is our living water. He paid your debt.

Let me read God’s comforting words to you.

First, hear his warning to the wicked, in Romans 1:18-32:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Now, to the saved, … Read Hebrews 2 on your own time because it goes hand-in-hand with Hebrews 3. Hebrews 3 reads:

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.

“‘Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.'”

IN CLOSING, I want you to know it is possible I will never get to teach you again, and I want to leave you with these words in hope you will never ever forget them: No matter what evil comes your way … no matter what form it takes, OBEY the Lord our God with all your heart and soul. Let nothing … and I mean, NOTHING come between you and God, and don’t let anything separate you or stop you from serving God. People will hurt your feelings. DON’T stop worshiping with the body of believers because of them. People will talk behind your back. DON’T retaliate. Answer kindly. They will sabotage you. If they want your position, give it to them. They will sometimes try to physically harm you. RUN for your life. Or give it up if it leads to their salvation. But don’t you dare, ever stop obeying the Lord God Almighty. He desires obedience rather than sacrifice.

Second, from this day forward, as you read scriptures, read God’s Word as if you are there in the scene with our forefathers, feeling what they felt, standing in their shoes. Dare to imagine yourself between each and every line of the scriptures you read. It’s okay to be uncomfortable for your uncomfortable feelings can often lead you to repentance. Be bold. Ask questions. Rid yourself of fear. Speak truth. Be holy.

Third, stop being lazy about researching the Word of God. Don’t skim over words you don’t know, customs you’re unfamiliar with. Look them up. Use more than one resource. The internet is often filled with erroneous information that “sounds” true, but isn’t. (For example, research when Jacob married Rachel and compare the internet’s answer to the Word of God.)

Fourth, self-reflect. The scriptures are written to teach and guide you. If you don’t self-reflect, you are assuming you’re good. The scriptures can’t offer encouragement to those who think they need no encouragement. Take on a submissive posture as you read God’s Word and let the scriptures teach, and guide, and admonish you. It’s okay to feel guilty after reading the Word. Your guilt is an opportunity to repent and get in line with God’s teachings … it’s an opportunity to obey the Father.

Fifth, look at your trials and tribulations from a different vantage point. Spiritual closeness with God cannot be attained without struggles. Count your struggles as a blessing for those same struggles will cause friction, cause you to cry out to God, cause you to wait on the Father, cause you to persevere; and when perseverance has finished its work in you, you will be mature and complete… lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Sixth, stop judging one another. For those who sit in judgment are no longer working out their own salvation but sitting in judgment of those who are.

Seventh, pray without ceasing. Pray for understanding. Pray for wisdom. Pray for the brotherhood of believers.

The good news gave the Samaritan Woman heart palpitations and made her leap with joy.

Where is your joy?

Is it wrapped up in where you will eat lunch today? Or will you allow the Word of God to spiritually fill you?

Has someone barged into your life, leaving you to feel inadequate? Or perhaps your competitive spirit has caused a great chasm in your relationship with your sister in Christ and you can no longer love her deeply and put her above yourself.

Some of you have worked your fingers to the bone and can’t or won’t do anymore. Growing weary will only afford Satan the opportunity to disrupt your spiritual peace. God’s Word encourages you to steal away and rest. Stop being hardheaded and rest. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

Remember, all that we do, we do in the name of the Lord. (Colossians 3:17)

Listen closely and cling to God’s love for you:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, AND BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you ...” (Isaiah 43:2-5)

IN SUMMARY, here’s what we have learned today:

• 1. You are not hungry and ready to rush off to have lunch with your friends. You are spiritually thirsty. Seek the Lord your God with all your heart so you can be refreshed and not turn into dry dead bones.
• 2. Nourish your faith by reading and meditating on scripture.
• 3. Let nothing steal your joy–not death, trials, or tribulations.
• 4. Regardless of your circumstances, God wants you to repent, remain in prayer, and be obedient. Obedience is better than sacrifice. (I Samuel 15:22)
• 5. Self-reflect. Examine yourself and see if your behavior lines up with the Word of the Lord. Remember, even if you don’t say anything wrong, your body language and demeanor can convey strong, negative messages. Ladies, soften your demeanor. Smile more. Be joyous.
• 6. Don’t believe the enemy. Don’t give in to the lies. God loves you. Wait on him and he will give you the desires of your heart. Wait on the Lord.
• 7. Rethink how you solve your issues. Seek God’s guidance first. Then wait upon the Lord. (Pslam 27:14) When going through trials, read as many scriptures as you can about our patriarchs who pleaded with God, then had to wait on him. You will begin to see that God always answers prayers. Wait on the Lord.
• 8. Add to your list of needs – prayers of ADORATION. Take time to adore God.

In short, we have learned that obedience pulls at God’s heart-string. Your obedience makes him happy. Being a good person doesn’t cut it because no one is good.

It’s been a joy to come before you to share God’s Word. This experience has forced me to dig deep into the Word and pray for understanding. I’m like you, one of simplicity; a woman who loves the Lord our God with all my heart and soul. Thank you for your patience and your love.

May our God who knows all things grant you peace and safety.

Amen.

by

Donna B. Comeaux

one woman out of billions who loves God Almighty