In Ithaca, for the first time, we live in a home with a well, and I have learned not to take water for granted. When the well runs dry, or the pump fails, or the timer that controls the pump fails, or there is a short in the wire that leads from the pump (as you can guess, we have experienced all of these), then there is no water coming into the home. This typically happens when we need it the most—when guests are coming for a holiday, wedding or special event.
Speaking of the kingdom age that Israel anticipated, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “In that day you will say … Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (Isaiah 12:1a, 2-4a, italics added). Notice that drawing water with joy from the wells of salvation is followed by making God known among the nations. Jesus touched upon the theme of water from the well in his ministry when he spoke to the woman at the well about drawing out living water (John 4:7-14) and when he said to the crowds at the Feast of Tabernacles, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37b-38). In the church age, it appears that we experience some aspects of the kingdom blessing here and now, including drinking with joy from the wells of salvation. As we experience the refreshing and joy that come from this “water from the well,” we will also have the desire and strength, the impulse and energy, to make him known among the nations—the very work we have been called to do in ISI.
Jesus has promised us that his well will never run dry (John 4:13-14). But we could have an issue with our “pumping mechanism”, such as the timer fails (that is, you get off schedule with your regular times with God) or there is a short in a wire (your communication with God has been blocked by sin), etc. We don’t have much to give out to students when we are not receiving into our hearts the water from the well. When we begin to run dry, let us diagnose the problem and come to him to take our fill of living water from the wells of salvation.
Speaking of the kingdom age that Israel anticipated, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “In that day you will say … Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (Isaiah 12:1a, 2-4a, italics added). Notice that drawing water with joy from the wells of salvation is followed by making God known among the nations. Jesus touched upon the theme of water from the well in his ministry when he spoke to the woman at the well about drawing out living water (John 4:7-14) and when he said to the crowds at the Feast of Tabernacles, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37b-38). In the church age, it appears that we experience some aspects of the kingdom blessing here and now, including drinking with joy from the wells of salvation. As we experience the refreshing and joy that come from this “water from the well,” we will also have the desire and strength, the impulse and energy, to make him known among the nations—the very work we have been called to do in ISI.
Jesus has promised us that his well will never run dry (John 4:13-14). But we could have an issue with our “pumping mechanism”, such as the timer fails (that is, you get off schedule with your regular times with God) or there is a short in a wire (your communication with God has been blocked by sin), etc. We don’t have much to give out to students when we are not receiving into our hearts the water from the well. When we begin to run dry, let us diagnose the problem and come to him to take our fill of living water from the wells of salvation.