Title: Redigging the Old Wells

Text: “And 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” (Gen. 26:18).

Introduction

Isaac had the misfortune of living in the shadow of a truly great father. Often it is exceedingly difficult for a son of such a father to achieve significance and recognition in his own right.

The Bible does not describe any great achievements of Isaac as it does of his father. However, Scripture records several times that he “digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them.” These wells were essential for the lives of both the families and the flock. Had it not been for these wells, they could not have survived. After Abraham’s death, Philistines had destroyed these sources of refreshment and sustenance, and it fell to Isaac to rediscover and redig them.

I.            Each generation must redig the old wells.

Every individual must find for himself or herself the source of spiritual vitality. Philistines who would deprive us and hinder us from finding the wells of salvation are still among us.

Each person is faced with the temptation to walk only by sight and not by faith. The pressures of a materialistic and competitive society take command of us and crowd out every thought concerning the spiritual.

If we permit the Evil One, who walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, to engage our interests and activities to the extent that we forget where the wells of salvation are, for all practical purposes they have been stopped up as were the wells during the days of Isaac.

We need to redig the wells of understanding the basis of our relationship with the Lord. The Philistines have stopped up the zeal for the Word of God in some. They have stopped up the wells of brotherhood among men in many churches. The philistines have caused some to feel that everybody in the church should support the functions that they promote, while the same people do not support other activities of the church. The Philistines have convinced some that they can be effective teachers without sitting under the teaching of their pastors. Moreover, the Philistines have convinced some that by renaming the basic tenets of the faith, they have created some new and significant thing. However, Jesus Christ is telling His church that we must redig the wells of biblical Christianity.

II.            We must redig the wells of salvation.

Isaiah said, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3). And the psalmist said, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:13). Both the prophet and the psalmist refer to salvation as something more than just the initial experience with God. They are thinking in terms of all that God has for his children. Desperately we need to realize that God’s program for us is something more than a ticket to heaven. It is a total program for all of life.

A.                   We need to rediscover the well of the Word of God. Josh. 1:8 informs us that the Word of God shall not depart from our mouths. ; Palm. 1:2 informs us that we are to meditate upon the Word of God day and night. Psalm; 119:36 commands us to incline our ears to hear His testimonies. Psalm 119:32 tells us to run the way of the Lord’s commandments.  god’s word is like a log sitting on top of the ice on a frozen lake. When the ice thaws and melts, the log penetrates into the water and becomes a part of the lake. The trials that come along in life are like that thawing process. They melt the heart and allow God’s Word to penetrate and become a part of us. WE need to redig the well of God’s Word.

B.                   Not only do we need to rediscover the well of the Word of God, but also We must redig the well of private prayer (Matt. 6:6).

C.                 We must again come to the well of fellowship with the saints (Heb. 10:24–25). Saints of the past and saints in the present can have a wholesome effect on our lives. In his book, “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” Ernest Hemingway wrote, No man is an island, no man stands alone.” This ideology is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Christians are ineffective without the fellowship of other Christians. Rev William Secker once said, “He who would be good must either have a faithful friend to instruct him or a  watchful enemy to correct him.”

D.                   Another well that we need to redig is the well of happy, joyful witnessing (Ps. 126:5–6). Too many Christians have revised the Great Commission from go an make Disciples, to come and become a disciple. We need to redig the well of happy, joyful witnessing.

III.            The result of redigging the old wells.

“The Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isa. 58:11–12).

Conclusion

Those who give themselves to the task of redigging these old wells of spiritual vitality will be encouraged by this poem entitled “Heaven’s Grocery Store.”

I was walking down life’s pathway
Not so very long ago
When I looked up and saw a sign
Heaven’s Grocery Store.

I got a little closer and the door swung open wide.
The next thing I knew I was standing there inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere.
One handed me a basket and said,
“My child, now shop with care.”

Everything a Christian needed
Was in that Grocery Store
And what you couldn’t carry out
You could come back next day for more.

Well, first I got some patience,
Love is in the same row.
Further down was understanding.
You need those everywhere you go.

I got a box or two of wisdom
And a bar or two of faith
You couldn’t miss the Holy Ghost
He was all over the place.

I didn’t forget salvation
For salvation—that was free.
I wanted to get enough of that
To save both you and me.

There was meekness, longsuffering and gentleness
I saw these at a glance.
I knew I’d better get some.
I would never have a better chance.

I stopped to get some courage
To help me run life’s race.
Then my basket was getting full
And I remembered I needed grace.

Then I started for the counter to pay my grocery bill
I thought I had most everything to do the Father’s will.
And I saw prayer, I just had to put that in.
I knew when I stepped outside the door, I’d run right into sin.

Joy and peace were plentiful
And they were on the same shelf
Songs and praises were hanging everywhere
So I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel
How much do I really owe
He smiled and said just take them
Everywhere you go.

But I said no—I want to pay.
How much do I really owe?
He said Jesus paid it all on Calvary
A long time ago.