Genesis 26:12-25 says, “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 16And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 17And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. 21And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. 22And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 23And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.”

Wells are simply pits in the ground that hold water. There are three things that you need to know about wells from scripture:

1) Cities were built around wells and springs of water, which is why the herdmen of Gerar were so contentious of the wells in the text. The kingdom of God is built around wells of living water! The kingdom of God can only be expanded into the hearts of men and women when we become wells of living water that serve as sources of life for others.

 

2) Wells were meeting places to develop relationships. Moses met his wife at a well (Exodus 2:15-21). Isaac met Rebekah at a well (Genesis 24:62-67). The well is the place where you come in contact with people who are thirsting for water that will refuel and refresh them. You are that refreshing! It is more than just winning people to Christ, but it is develop a friendship with them so that you can speak life to them and show them the importance of developing a relationship with the One True King.

 

3) Wells were places of divine appointment with God. John 4:4-19 says, “4And he must needs go through Samaria. 5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” Jesus knew in His Spirit that He to go to a well to meet this woman who was considered an outcast in society because she was destined to be the missing link that would bring revival to Samaria and stir up people’s curiosity to know and meet Jesus Christ. He stayed two extra days there and believed upon His Word because she went throughout the city telling them about Him. When you become a well of living water, God will arrange divine appointments for you to effectively minister to others and bring life to them, even in the midst of their pain, sin, and darkness!

 

People have to draw out of wells in order to get water. That is why Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” We are wells of salvation, and people should be able to draw from us so that they are convicted and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! However, some people do not have water in their wells, or they are filled with dirt. In reference to false prophets, Peter said, “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever” (2 Peter 2:17). In other words, a well of living water should speak prophetically into the lives of others. If we are gossiping and speaking negativity, we are wells without water. We are filled with the dirt of our flesh and opinions that do not allow us to bring life to others. It is time we dig through the dirt so that we can unstop our wells of living water. It is not about the kind of church services that we attend. It is about us digging through an authentic prayer life and fasting so that the well of living can spring up into everlasting life.