17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
19 Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, [b] because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. [c] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, [d] saying, "Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land."
23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
(Genesis 26:17-25)
As I read this lengthy passage I am reminded so much of our behavior as people today. Its impressed upon me as I read of the quarrelling between Isaac's people and the others how fiercely protective we are about our turf or our territory. Its true that Isaac and Abraham dug those wells at Gerar. But they were dug in Philistine territory. Not everybody remembered the rules for their use or who had the rights to them since so much time had elapsed. Their descendants had different understandings as to who could use them and who could not. The Philistines filled the wells in, thinking that they could prevent Abraham from encroaching into their lands. Isaac new that he and his ancestors dug those wells with their sweat and labor- it is extremely hard work to dig a well, especially with the primitive tools they had at that time. However, Isaac was wise enough to see the wisdom of digging new wells- even if others would use them after he dug them. For one thing, the water was free and everyone needed it. Even more than this, Isaac found that the more wells he dug, the more prosperous he became and his territory expanded. When there was more than enough for everyone, the less the people complained and bickered, the better everyone got along, and the greater influence Isaac had over the entire region. This was truly a "win-win" situation for everyone. Even more beneficial is the fresher water from new wells, and that no one needed to keep drinking from the stagnant wells of Gerar.
Perhaps it is time to dig new wells into our situation where God has placed us. You may be working on a ministry project that others are benefitting from, but some want to take it in another direction. What do you do? You dig a new well. Every time we sink new wells, develop new ministries, build new churches, start another Sunday School class or reach a new family everyone is blessed by it regardless of who did it. How boring it is when I see people so fiercely protective of their "well" that they won't allow anyone else to get involved in it. They feel threatened that someone wants to change it or benefit from it that it never occurs to them that it belongs to God, not them. We are about working for the Kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self. So each time I encounter those situations where people want to quarrel over their territory, I try to take Isaac's example and dig a new well. In the meantime I have expanded my influence and see that people want to do something new, not keep going back to the old.
Has God shown you a new well that needs to be dug today? Don't listen to what others are telling you, that we already have enough wells around, or that people are not drinking from all the wells we already have. God has more than enough fresh water for everyone but people want fresh water to drink, not stale. Keep on digging, and as Jesus said, "But whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never become thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become a well of water for him, springing up to eternal life." John 4:14
Prayer: Lord, do you want me to dig a new well today? I know we still have all the old wells, but You are always doing something new, and You desire to refresh Your people with fresh spring water. Thank You for using me to dig it. In Jesus name, Amen!
Have a blessed day!
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