Shaken by the Noise of the Enemy

For they have cast an evil spell upon me *

and are set against me in fury.

5 My heart quakes within me, *

and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Psalm 55

Psalm 55, appointed for today, has always given me comfort in dark times because it describes such a painful scenario and yet concludes with

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never let

the righteous stumble.

.As I read it today, I gleaned great comfort that I am not "shaken by the noise of the enemy" right now, and then I read the gospel for today.

It is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, out in the heat of the day because she is not allowed to go there when others go, whom Jesus asks for water. Astounded she says "How is it that a Jew ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" We come to find out this woman, a foreigner in the eyes of the Jews, was not only an outcast ethnically but also known to have had many husbands and not married to the one she was living with at the time. I suspect her "heart quaked within her" when she encountered a Jewish man as she arrived at the well.

And what happens? Jesus says I do not need a bucket to give you the water I have to give. I can give you living water so you will never be thirsty again, and on top of that go get your husband and I will give him some too! Then the clincher...the woman says she has no husband, and Jesus says, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband." then she is really confused and like Mary thinks how can this be? She professes her faith that a Messiah is coming, and Jesus says, I am he who is speaking to you!"

Imagine, in the throes of experiencing fury and terror all around, fear and trembling of being out in a place of great danger as she was, meeting the Living Christ. How many times have you been the Samaritan woman, the stranger, the outcast, longing to "fly away and be at rest" taunted by a person "of your own heart, your companion, your own familiar friend." and yet turning around to witness the Living Christ offering you Living Water? He is there, I can assure you, and many of you reading this have been the face of Christ for me extending the Living Water.

For that I am oh so grateful.