Isaac had to have his men dig a lot of wells. The Philistine neighbors became threatened by his prosperity so they kept tying to sabotage his operation by filling in his wells, the life-giving sources of water so vitally needed for the thirst of his household and the thirst of his herds.
What does this tell us? We (and our household) have a built-in thirst for God, but we also have an enemy who is nefariously at work to fill in our wells! I learned this principle from Isaac a long time ago: Dig your own wells! And keep on digging them…
Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. Genesis 26:15-18
Never rely on the usual watering holes to always be able to slake your thirst for God. That’s a short term strategy, guaranteed to leave you “high and dry” in the long run. Any church I happen to go to (as an itinerant preacher) may become a place that meets a need I have to meet with God that day. But I cannot rely upon church on Sunday! My reliance has to be upon the Lord Himself and that means learning to “dig” into His Spirit, His Word, His Presence, His Voice, His Leadership—so that I can go directly to God and have my thirst for Him relieved. True spiritual health begins there!
Our “thirst” represents that desire we all have for freshness in our relationship with Jesus. You and I were never meant to live by yesterday’s testimonies. What God did for us in the past and what we did with Him and for Him make for great stories that build other people’s faith and which stabilize ours as we recount them (in conversation or in memory)—but that is not the same thing as freshness!
Jesus wants all of us to get this! He says “Come boldly to my throne of grace and get all the mercy and help you need directly from me!” (a loose translation of Hebrews 4:16, AKA “the elevator” invitation for access to His presence). That sounds like a God who really, really wants me to show up and get a fresh “drink” directly from Him! And how about this jewel:
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-39
In a sense the first 22 Healing Streams Main Healing Lessons are designed to help believers get the stones and dirt out that the enemy has managed to throw into your well of living water, like those Philistine neighbors had done to the physical wells of Isaac. Negative emotions and distorted images of God, self and others can really jam up the works!
Once the internal well has been mostly cleared, the final two lessons teach how to keep the river of living water flowing. Your well is fine! Don’t give up on what God has given you. Just learn the way of clearing out the rubble and “digging” into God!
Take our free eCourse for Healing to really get your heart cleared out!
About the Author: Steve Evans
For over a decade Steve Evans and Healing Streams have been helping people recover inner peace and freedom. Find out how to gain mastery over negative emotions and live with childlike freedom of spirit by taking his completely free "eCourse for Healing" at healingstreamsusa.org. Get started now!
