When I was a boy, we had a pump which brought water into the kitchen sink, from the outside well. At some point, the water began to taste a bit odd. Then it started tasting so bad, we couldn’t use it and it had a smell to it. We were bringing buckets of water, from my uncle’s house which was about ½ mile away. Some of the family got together to explore down in the well, to find out the problem. I think we put a rope on someone and they went down and discovered a 7 foot snake that had fallen in the well and decomposed. UUUUKKK! They put sulfur and bleach in the well and began to pump it out. When we stopped tasting sulfur, then we knew it was safe to drink the water!
The scriptures tell us that Isaac had some well troubles as well….
Genesis 26:12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, v13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. v14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. v15 (So, the Philistines filled all the wells with earth that were dug in the days of Abraham his father.)
Now in the following 10 verses Isaac ends up digging 4 other wells, because in each place, his enemies would take over the well he had dug. The enemy will always oppose those who are being used of God to accomplish His will in the earth.
Paul Overstreet put it in a song…. “Ike had a blessing from the Lord up above, and gave him a beautiful woman to love, A place to live and some land to farm, Two good legs and two good arms. The Devil came sneaking around one night, and decided he would do a little evil to Ike. Figured he would hit old Ike where it hurt, so he Filled up all of his wells with dirt. Ike went out to get his morning drink, he got a cup full of dirt and his heart did sink, He knew it was the Devil so he said with a grin God blessed me once, he can do it again. So when the rains don’t fall, and the crops all fail, And the cow isn’t putting any milk in the pail, Don’t sit around waiting for a check in the mail, Just pick up your shovel and dig another well, (Go on) Pick up your shovel and dig another well.
How we respond when we go through hard times is very important; and so is our attitude when we are fighting a spiritual battle, and that battle just goes on and on, and it’s one thing after another. A modern parable says that the trees were rapidly losing ground to the lumber companies but they kept voting for the axe to lead them because it’s handle was made out of their own wood….
Our weapons are spiritual weapons; they are mighty through God, in His strength—not ours. And as we learn to tap into the strength of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to do what we otherwise couldn't do, we will begin to.see victory in our lives! Our weapons are mighty…. When the enemy starts messing, God starts blessing….
(1) Isaac wasn’t overwhelmed by everything that happened, because he had a word covenant with God and he put his full weight on it… The first weapon we have been given is God’s irrevocable word!
Ephesians 6:17 says “The word of God is the sword of the Spirit." It is a defensive and an offensive weapon. We advance and we defend with the word of God…. We will not defeat Satan by reasoning with him. We will not defeat Satan by negotiating with him. We will not defeat Satan by just telling him to get out.
We defeat Satan by using Word of God. “It is written”! But (oops) how can we use it if we don’t know it!!! You can easily be defeated if you don’t know the word because you will fall back on feelings, self-justification, the way you see it, and “if it’s right, why isn’t everyone doing it!?? How can we obey if we don’t know what He is saying?
Neil Martin, was a member of the British Parliament, and he was giving a group of visitors a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, they happened to meet the lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office. The chancellor recognized Neil Martin with the group and shouted out, "Neil!" and immediately, the entire tour group fell to their knees! When they declare “It is written, His plans unravel! When God shows upthe enemy FALLS TO HIS KNEES! When His children use the authority of His word, the enemy flees!
The second weapon we are to use is Prayer… "Praying in the Spirit always with all kinds of prayer and supplication" (Ephesians 6:18). God’s word gives us God’s will, so we pray the word and also pray in the Spirit which brings us into the will of God….
Worship is a powerful weapon in our arsenal…. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah and he sent worshipers ahead of the army…
2 Chronicles 20:22-23 "When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. Then the Ammonites and Moabites stood up against those dwelling from Mount Seir to destroy and finish them. Then when they made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, each man attacked his companion so they destroyed each other".
Warren W. Wiersbe wrote…. “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of our conscience by His holiness. The nourishment of our mind with His truth. The purifying of our imagination by His beauty. The opening of our heart to His love and the surrender of our will to His purpose”.(Amen)…… We are given the weapon of the Name of Jesus….Philippians 2:9-11"Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".
That’s why so many organizations today don’t want you to use the name of Jesus. It’s about authority, and rulership, that requires that they bow. Near the end of his life in the 1800’s, the great composer Franz Haydn was present at the Vienna Music Hall, where his concert, “The Creation” was being performed. Weakened by age, he was confined to a wheelchair. As the concert built in passion and fervor, the audience was caught up with tremendous emotion. As the chorus and orchestra burst forth at the climax, the crowd could no longer restrain its enthusiasm. The vast assembly rose in spontaneous applause for Haydn’s brilliant work. He struggled to stand and motioned for silence. With his hand pointed toward heaven, he said, "No, no, not for me, but for Him, for Him!" Then he fell back into his chair exhausted. Oh the name that is above every other name!!!!
Our Testimony is a powerful weapon…. It brings intangible, invisible things into the tangible, visible flesh and blood world where we all live! Revelation 12:11 "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto the death".
Folks can argue with what you say you believe, but they can’t argue with your personal experience. First-hand testimony is allowed in a court of law, so, that should tell us the importance of sharing our testimony. The enemy wants to get us to focus on the negative, on what we don't have, on the bad things that happened in our lives. Our testimony is about what we do have, and what God has done, is doing and will do in our lives! Our testimony can be the North star pointing us to victory!!
I recall one fellow who could win the Mr. Ugly award. When the leader asked if there were any testimonies, He stood up in the home group meeting, when everyone was thanking God for something, and said “I want to thank God for a couple of perfectly formed eyebrows”!!!
Be sure not to neglect the weapon of Thanksgiving…. Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".
When someone in Isaac’s day dug a well on a property, it was a claim of ownership. It was a statement being made that theperson was taking possession of the property and would be taking up residence there.
Isaac was run off the first time by jealousy, the second time he was run off by criticism and strife, the third time he was run off by false accusations, and the fourth time he had to deal with the issue of territorial fighting.
We all need to know when to fight, when to compromise, and when to walk away. Because God isn’t finished yet. Isaac was like the preacher who was preaching in a church with a broken clock. He went on and on and on and one little boy said to the other one… “ Do you think he’s about finished” The other boy said, “He’s finished, but he just won’t quit”…. Everyone may have thought Isaac was finished, with all the trouble he was having, BUT HE REFUSED TO QUIT!
KEEP ON DIGGING, CHURCH! What’s interesting is that because Isaac didn’t try to fight every battle, but chose to only fight the ones worth winning, by the time he got to the fourth well, and decided this was worth fighting, the enemy was willing to compromise and work out a solution with him.
Genesis 26:25 Isaac built an altar there (at Beersheba) and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. v26 Meanwhile, Abimelek (the Philistine) had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. v27 and Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” v28 And they answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you v29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. For it is apparent that you are blessed by the Lord. v30 So, Isaac made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. v31 Then Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. v32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. (the fifth well) They said, “We’ve found water!” v33 And he called it Sheba, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba (The well of 7 fold blessing)”.
I think Isaac’s order of occupying the land would be good for all of us to take notice of.. He built an altar, pitched his tent and dug a well… He put God first!
Look at what it says about the 5th well (By the way, 5 is the number of redemption) He called it Beersheba, (the well of 7 blessings) (1st blessing) Genesis 26:23 God has saved the best for last. If you don’t quit, if you don’t give up, your end will be better than your beginning. (2nd blessing) Genesis 26:24--don’t fear, I am with you--the blessing of your Beersheba well is God’s presence in your life continually.. (3rd blessing) Genesis 26: 24b- you are about to be multiplied. I am going to give you years of increase. You won’t walk in lack but in plenty. (4th blessing) Genesis 26: 26-31 Your enemy will be afraid of you. The devil won’t have you on the run, you will have the devil on the run. I will make your enemies to be at peace with you
(5th blessing) Genesis 26:32 Every time you dig you will find water. Water is a symbol of full life, a satisfied life, a complete life… (6th blessing) Genesis 26:33 You will walk in God’s favor, people will be drawn to your well. What you did in your generation, the next generation will do even greater. (7th blessing) Genesis 26:33b I will return unto you 7 times what was taken. That’s prosperity and abundance!
God had brought Isaac into a wider place and he was not the same man that he was at the first well. God had put him on the anvil and poured Iron into his soul, and he was not about to be moved. But his reputation let everyone know that he was willing to work out a win-win situation whenever possible. But there was a line which Isaac would not cross and one he could not compromise.
Isaac was declaring, Devil, you may have gotten in a few punches, but now I know what you’ve got, and I realize that I have more power and authority than I realized I had, and I don’t have to take it anymore!!! It wasn’t about the well, it was about the water rights and the claim on God’s covenant word promises. Without the well water, they could not survive in the dry, parched area where they lived. The body needs about 3 quarts of water a day to operate efficiently. Our blood, is 90 percent water. Since water is a symbol of the spirit, we can’t be whole without access to the water of the Spirit. There are things that want to steal your water rights, and your access to the flow of living water!
Isaac had learned that once you start giving in to the enemy, he will never stop stealing your inheritance, he will never stop dogging your steps, and ripping you off.
2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. v4 The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. v5We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”.…
What we can learn from Isaac, is that when you are in the struggle that jealousy, criticism and strife, false accusations, and territorial conflicts, has brought into your life…
DIG ANOTHER WELL!!! No matter where you are, there is a river of God you can tap into!
Is your life immersed in friction and contention? Is there some conflict you are dealing with—some tension that does not seem to want to go away? Are you at odds with the company you work for, and now you dread going in to work? Is there a strain now existing between you and someone with whom you had been close; someone you thought was a friend? DIG ANOTHER WELL!!
Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall I draw water from the wells of salvation.. (sozo.. wholeness, completeness, fullness) v4 and in that day I shall say “Praise the Lord”….
What’s amazing here, is that by the time Isaac got to the fourthwell, his enemies were asking for his forgiveness and seeking his blessing. When he granted forgiveness and blessed his enemies, God opened up the fifth well which was greater than all the wells he ever dug before. Get ready for something greater than you have ever received before!!! *……Isaiah 44:3 “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring”. The wells that you dig are for generations to come!
*……Check this out….Mark 4:30 Jesus tells us that “Those who hear Hisword and do it shall receive a, thirtyfold, sixtyfold and hundredfoldreturn.” – These are not just random numbers Jesus gives… *…..The number 30 in scripture represents authority, leadership, or rulership….The number 60 means to receive help, support, or assistance. The number 100 in the Bible means fulfilled promises and security.
Jesus is saying that you shall receive authority, help and support, and God’s promises fulfilled to and through you, as you dig another well…. I’ve heard folks say, “I feel so dry, I could spit dust” DIG ANOTHER WELL!....When the door to your dreams and your hopes slams in your face, you can whine and grumble and complain, or you can DIG ANOTHER WELL!….When you’re challenged with health issues, DIG ANOTHER WELL! …. When nothing is going right, DIG ANOTHER WELL!..
The weapons of our warfare are 30 fold (authority and rulership) 60 fold (Heaven’s support, and assistance) 100 fold ( the security that God will always fulfill His promises and find a way that you hadn’t thought of yet)!
Since I arrived in this city in 1976, I’ve heard pastors and church folks talk about revival. I have been part of a number of revival movements throughout my life. Folks have come and gone, without seeing the well of revival opened up. But I believe the line has been drawn and all the accusations, the criticism and strife, the jealousy and greed and the territorial fighting will not work anymore. This is now the time for 30 fold, 60 fold and 100 fold results, in the name of Jesus!
I believe we are in the time of the Isaac covenant overflow, and the time of digging new wells of the Holy Spirit’s power, new wells of sinners being convicted and falling before God in repentance, new wells of Divine healing, signs and miracles. I have known from my youth what it is to experience an open heaven, where God comes in and overwhelms all excuses, justification, religious tradition and pride, and I have watchedGod take over as we stand in awe and amazement!!!
2 Corinthians 5:17 “old things have passed away, and behold all things are become new”!!!
It’s time to dig some new wells, and blaze some new trails, and welcome some new blood into the kingdom, and receive a fresh visitation of a heaven sent, Holy Spirit inspired wave of God’s moving and working!!!
So I ask all of us the question, “Is it well with your well”? if the enemy clogs it up and things are getting dry… get your shovel of faith and DIG A NEW WELL…!
We say what Paul said in Philippians 3:14-21 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
That’s just another way of saying…. KEEP ON DIGGING!! Lord Jesus, if there is someone who is about to give up because the enemy keeps clogging and filling up their well, I pray for fresh inspiration. Lord, renew their vision, and increase their strength. Let them tap into the 5th well, the well of redemption…that place of renewal, restoration, and new hope. Lord, grant new direction, and new anointing. In Your strength, we don’t give up, we rise up, and we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ!!!
