Digging Wells

 "So Isaac moved to the Gerar Valley and lived there instead. He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham's death." Genesis 26:17-18

God had given this land to Abraham, and he had dug wells upon it, sealing his permanent ownership. When he died, the Philistines filled them up. They no longer functioned as life-giving wells and were for all intents and purposes, forgotten, but not by God and not by Abraham's son, Isaac. They were never meant to cease their function.

I see a correlation with much of what has happened in the church. I believe that there are spiritual "wells" that need to be redug by the church. Wells that the Father never intended to be "filled in" and forgotten but nonetheless were. I want to share just a few that need to be reopened and in many areas of the church, are being reopened.

The first is the well of holiness. Holiness is a word many churches want to avoid. It brings negative feelings in people they say. Small wonder because the message of holiness is always bad news for anyone who wants to live in and rely upon their flesh. Holiness is not an exercise in legalistic rule keeping but rather an adventure into the heart and mind of the Father. Holiness is living in His purity, joy, peace, and goodness. It is living saturated in His love and loving as He loves. It is also a despising of sin in all of its forms while at the same time, loving those ones held captive by sin. There needs to be redigging of the well of holiness resulting in a fresh, powerful message of holy life and living.

Then there is the well of repentance. You can sit in a large number of churches in the west and never hear this word. Like holiness, it offends our fleshly pride. It means that we are walking on a path that is not of Him and indeed is leading us away from Him. Away from Christ. It is a path leading to destruction. Repentance is our admission that we have been living in the opposite direction in which Jesus Christ walks and lives. Repentance is a complete turning away and around from this path and joining Him on His. Repentance confesses we have been wrong and He is right. Our pride will always fight this and run from this, which is why so many churches tread so lightly here.

The last well is the well of supernatural power. Holy Spirit power. Someone once said that the church admits it is held together by His Holy Spirit while at the same time being terrified of the Person of the Holy Spirit. We have been afraid of the unleashed fullness of His Holy Spirit in our midst. So, we've crafted "worship" services that are far more oriented toward human control than the control of His Spirit. We grieve and suffocate His Holy Spirit and to our own great harm.

These are not the only wells we need to redig, just the ones on my heart today. We need to also redig the wells of generosity, compassion, faithfulness, and servanthood to name just a few. Is the fellowship of which you're a part redigging these? If not, would you dare to speak up and out about it? You may be alone at first. That's okay. Every well begins with someone putting their shovel into the ground. Be that one. I feel very sure that the Lord will soon surround you with others. The church is dying for the waters of these wells to spring up and give life once more.

Blessings,
Pastor O