“At last the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.“ ( Genesis 26:22)

This statement was made by Isaac, a man we know who had become rich and had eventually became very wealthy. Isaac was materially set as we say, yet his words of relief, “At last” indicate that wealth had not necessarily insulated him from all longing. It is interesting that Isaac’s prosperity only insulated him from relationship. His neighbors deemed him too powerful  and took measures to distance themselves from him.

Isaac’s relief came because he found an uncontested well of flowing water that he could claim. It didn’t matter how wealthy Isaac was, without water he would die. Down deep the water had been flowing all along. It was just that the Philistines had filled the wells up with earth. Isaac had to expend his own energies in reestablishing the access point to this water on which his life depended.

I had been aware, mostly because of songs we sang, that there was a well of living water that was supposed to be bubbling up from within me. I believe, if I am remembering the song correctly, I was to have; “Joy, joy joy – joy, joy, joy.” I was just mouthing the words because in my heart it was really more like, “I wish I had” joy, joy, joy.” For years it had felt as if someone had filled my well up with dirt. In case you have never been there, it is very disheartening to stand from week to week mouthing words that someone else had written from their place of jubilation or revelation. It feels like something in us is dead but we usually just turn the page and mouth the words to the next song. We then leave the assembly and do the same thing with our lives. We just go through the motions.

My “at last” moment and season of bearing more fruit began after I finally acknowledged that I was dying of thirst. Something in me, perhaps crying out from that deep well within, finally stood up and said, “I cannot just go through the motions of Christianity! I know this is not the life Jesus died to give me!”

I knew there was living water down there in my heart. I had seen the stream before but I had no clue who filled it up or what it had been filled with. Oh, I thought I knew who the Philistines were who were responsible but the Lord was not pleased with my finger pointing. It became clear that he was asking me to choose life and that meant that I must spend the necessary time and energy digging deep enough to uncover the well that God and I both knew was there.

The much abbreviated story is that it was religion that had been dumped into my well. And, as much as I hated to admit it, my hand was in on every self serving, guilt and shame-laden shovel full that was thrown in. God did not leave me without help in my excavation project. A few mentor-counselor types and friends were working along side me. I will never forget as we were getting near the bottom and I could once again begin to taste the living water and how perfectly delicious it was.  My thoughts were “Oh Lord, You have been there all along!” It was almost worth the thirst just to have it quenched! My heart was saying, “Ah, at last!”.

As we are rehydrated with His Spirit our gifts will emerge which will make a place for us. Life of the abundant type that Jesus offers is very attractive! Thirsty people will be drawn to it. There will come a day in our lives, if we do our part in maintaining the wells, that Living Water will overflow from our lives into the lives of those around us. This, I am convinced, is normal Christianity.

The great danger is that in our hearts we would learn to think of that life we established of going through the motions, as normal. If you feel something deeply dissatisfied within you that you can’t quite identify, don’t ignore it! It is likely your thirst beginning to find expression. Give voice to it. In His presence, take responsibility for your heart. Grab your shovel and start digging! Pray it out. Cry it out. Journal it out. Speak it out. Find help. Don’t do as I did and point your finger at the church, or the Philistines around you, or your circumstances.  They are not responsible for our spiritual condition. We are. Living water can make an oasis in the midst of any desert. It is up to us. We must choose life!

Father, awaken that militancy of spirit within us that has the courage to say “No!” to all that is beneath Your kingdom values of righteousness, peace and joy. Help us to see that You have purchased abundant life for us and that it is ours for the taking. Help us to say “yes” to our thirst. Help us to discover the well that is ours. Amen.