The Waters of Your Well

Have you ever depended upon well water for your personal use?  I did growing up and then again in my adult years.  An interesting phenomena occurs when events destabilize the underground water table from which the well is drawing.  The water stops flowing out of the well and into the pipes servicing the home.  This happened to us when the builders expanded our subdivision.  Suddenly the water had been drained out of our portion of the table and was pulled into another area.  We were dry!  The solution involved drilling a new well and praying that it would be productive.  The drilling company kept going deeper and deeper.  Finally we were informed that there was only one section of pipe left to put on the drill.  If we did not succeed then the drilling process would have to start all over again ~ and incidentally it would cost the same as the first attempt.  Within a few feet of the drill's ultimate depth of 500 feet, water came exploding out of the well, so strongly that it blew the drilling mechanism away.  We celebrated that the pressure was sufficient enough to supply the whole neighborhood if we had the need. 

Multiple times in scripture Jesus tells us that He is the living water.  Holy Spirit within us keeps our "wells" primed for dispensing living water into other lives.  Recall with me the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-30).  She is drawing the water that is essential for her daily life from the well.  Jesus tells her, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." John 4:10  As believers we have asked Jesus for that living water in our lives.  However just as with a physical well that draws water from the ground, we too must function as a productive well if we are going to dispense living water to others.  What does that look like? 

First consider the operating condition of your well.  Is it being used regularly in drawing out water and then dispensing it?  Or has it grown rusty from lack of use and subsequently the water that is available may not be of the best quality.  Water grows stagnant if it does not flow freely.  Whether sitting in the bottom of the well or in a swamp, stagnate water neither refreshes or satisfies.   So it is with the living water that is inside of us.  When was the last time that you refreshed your well and poured out of it?  Consider as well how efficiently the pumping mechanism works.  How much effort does it take to pump out that water?  How much effort does it take to share the Word of God?  Is it at the forefront ready to quench thirst when God calls upon you?

How about the quality of the water?  It does not take much to contaminate a water source.  A dead animal falling into the well will easily cause significant issues with the cleanliness of the water.  We must consider what we are taking into our minds and our bodies that could contaminate the living water for which we are responsible.  Maintaining the purity of the well is critical if we are going to be dispensing the life giving water. We must ask ourselves if we are protecting this precious resource that is needed by so many people in this world.  Have we put the appropriate safeguards in place?  Without them the water is not good for anyone.

How about the capacity of the well?  It is our responsibility to continue to dig deeper to insure that fresh water is always available.  Just as with the well in my home, it is possible for our "source" to become drained if we are not regularly working to keep it fresh and overflowing.  The more we are dispensing, the more we need and the deeper we must go in God's Word to replenish the basin that is being utilized.  When it becomes a challenge for us to speak the truth in any situation, to provide life giving water to anyone in our midst, we are drawing from a well that is drying out.  Attaching another drill section and digging deeper is as simple as spending intimate time with the Lord.  The question is whether we are doing that in a timely manner before we run dry.

The purpose of our wells is two-fold.  First is that through them we stay refreshed and our own thirst is quenched.  Second is to provide a refreshing drink to those who have come to our oasis seeking a drink.  We must remember that although we are the mechanism by which the drink is provided, we are not the water itself.  We are called to be the conduit of the Holy Spirit providing a wonderful outlet through which He can flow.  Our obedience in maintaining our wells is visible to those who travel through our lives.  Let us all earnestly seek to maintain thriving wells of living water, ever ready to provide a deep drink to all who are thirsty.