How do I know that the Lord is faithful? Well a big part of my testimony is that for about a two year period of my life, from 8th to 10th grade, I wasn’t exactly following or seeking the Lord. I pushed Him away because it felt like He wasn’t there and that He didn’t care about me. This was entirely not true, and it led me to a really dark time in my life for the last stretch of those two years. My best friend had ended our friendship and I was devastated and slightly depressed. It felt like there was a big hole in my heart and nothing could satisfy it. This lasted for about six months but ended when I had my ‘come to Jesus moment’ and rededicated my life to him. I realized that he had always been there, and that he was so good and forever faithful. So ever since then the attribute of God that was very evident to me throughout everyday life was faithful. I would praise him and thank him for being faithful, I would listen to songs and read scripture about his faithfulness, and I would look for ways that he had been faithful to me recently. It was a good thing to focus on for the time that I did because I needed to actually believe it. However, one day about a month ago I was sitting and had the thought that I should find a new attribute to focus on. Not that this one was irrelevant but because I had been growing in my relationship with the Lord and felt like I could grow more while learning about something new. But it was just a thought and not something that I took the time in that moment to look into, and therefore pretty much forgot about it.
Then during the next Activation Thursday, we had a time to sit with the Lord and so I just started kind of pacing back and forth in the back of the field we have on base. I decided to read Psalm 63 out loud and pray through it verse by verse. When I finished doing that I started to read though it once again but couldn’t get past the first verse. It says “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched last where there is no water.” This really stood out to me so I was just praying it over myself and meditating on it. After doing that I started praying about other things. While still walking around, all of a sudden the word WELL popped into my mind and it was so highlighted that I stopped moving. I thought about it for a second and was kind of just like, okay cool a well has to do somewhat with the verse in Psalm 63, then I started walking again. But very soon after, all of a sudden so many things about the well came flooding to my mind as well as an image of one with an emphasis on the fact that the Father is the well. Again I stopped in my tracks and just stood there thinking about everything flying around up there. Then I smiled because I realized that I had my new attribute; actually probably more of a metaphor.
Here are some of the things that God revealed to me about it:
First of all if we think of Biblical times, every town needed a well. It was usually outside of the city so obviously you had to walk to get to it. Everyday, women would walk to it and draw out enough water for their family for the day. Think of the story of the women at the well.
Now think of intimacy with God. There is this sturdy well that has always been in the same spot. Steadfast, reliable, trustworthy. If we want to be filled we have to choose to go back every day. It may seem like a mundane task, but every time we go, there is always more. Every time we drink of the living water, we will benefit and be satisfied. Jesus is constantly calling us to come back to the well. Not just when we feel thirsty or empty but we have the option to come everyday, multiple times a day, as much as we want. Not only do we benefit and become more satisfied when we choose to draw from the well, but we also get to live in a position of overflow. Our cup become so full of the love of God that every time we happen across others, some of what we have received gets spilt over them and they get to experience that love as well. However, as soon as we start to neglect the well, our spirit begins to dry up as well as the fruits of love, joy, gentleness, kindness, peace, etc. This in turn leads to us becoming less adequate vessels for the Lord to use.
Therefore, strive to be the first one at the well. Don’t wait for others to lead the way or for them to follow. Pursue the Lord more than you think possible. Keep walking towards the well because when you do, you are guaranteed to find living water.
Seek to live life from a place of intimacy, satisfaction, abundance, and overflow.
