Wells along the way

So he built an altar there, called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants also dug a well there. [Genesis 26:25]

When Abraham or Isaac or Jacob moved to a new place, they did the necessary. Built an altar and worshiped the Lord their God. Pitched a tent and dwelled in the temporary place. 

And dug a well.  Dug deep.  To tap into a source of water hidden beneath the ground.

Necessary wells

For Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the well was necessary for survival. It provided water for their families and for their flocks. And became a symbol of community—where people went daily to provide for household needs.

To quench the perpetual thirst of wilderness living.

The travelers and their tents moved on, but the wells remained. Left behind for the next weary soul.

An oasis in the barren place. Meeting the needs of those who followed after.  Providing for the next community that dwelled in the land. 

Centuries and many generations later the Son of God would sit beside such a well in Samaria. Jacob’s well.  The water source for a nearby village. And as the Samaritan woman lowered her vessel into the well, she met the One and Only source of Living Water. 

A holy encounter that changed everything for this woman and her entire village.

Wells along the way

In this walk with the Lord, I’ve come to wells along the way. Left by those who’ve gone before. Brothers and sisters who lived the hard path of obedience and dug the necessary well. 

Some of these were hollowed out in the crucible of pain and suffering. Others reached new depths by a desperate thirst for the pure water of the holy spring that never runs dry.  Their life experiences with the Lord ran deep.

They learned to listen to the Lord’s instruction. Found comfort in His Word and by His Spirit.  That comfort now overflows to others.

So I stop at the well of their experience with Him and my heart and mind are refreshed. 

Amy Carmichael

Growing up, I often heard my mother quote Amy Carmichael and talk about her life.  There were a number of her books in our home library.  

One autumn as Todd and I were getting ready to embark on our move across the ocean, Mom asked what I’d like for Christmas.  I asked her to give me her favorite Amy Carmichael book.  

There were several under the Christmas tree that year.  “I couldn’t choose just one,” she said.  The following is inscribed in one of those books.

Dear Suz,
I met Amy Carmichael in Bangkok, 1961—her books, that is.
And as I read, I found myself challenged and delighted with
the way she put words together. She seemed to “read my thoughts”
and put them in much fresher ways.  She made me want to pray with her,
“Lord, forgive my poverty of love
and my interrupted obedience.”
It’s with joy we give you some of her writings…
Joyous Christmas, Mom and Dad

Amy Carmichael’s writings were a well that refreshed me as I crossed cultures and learned to dwell in the land. Discovering how to cultivate faithfulness wherever the Lord led us.  Her lessons lived out in long years of suffering gave me the courage to persevere and endure.  

Wells and the community of faith

Other faithful servants mark my life with the wells of their words and experiences. Wells that encourage the community of faith as we walk His path in this world. Here are a few of those who have impacted my journey.

Catherine Marshall shared her life story in Meeting God at Every Turn. 

Elisabeth Elliot stood firm at the well of Truth with a prophetic voice through her various writings. 

Lilias Trotter, artist in the desert, journaled in obscurity and obedience. 

Madame Jeanne Guyon sought full surrender to the will and ways of the Lord.

Digging wells

Digging wells is no easy task. But long seasons of going through dirt and rock in the right place eventually pays off. These results come as we abide in Christ through prayer and the Word. Streams of refreshing fill, encourage and equip for the way ahead.  

And comfort others who pass that way.

What about you? 

Whose well of words and experience has encouraged you in your walk with the Lord?

Related posts: Tents and altars ; Hidden treasure ; Travelers ; Living water ; Crushed