Genesis-92-Re-dug Wells

The Word of God is from Genesis 26:26-33:

 

"Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, his adviser, and Phicol, the commander of his army. Isaac said to them, 'Why have you come to me, since you hate me and sent me away from you?' They said, 'We have seen clearly that the Lord is with you; so we said, "Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done nothing to you but only good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord."' So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. On the same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, 'We have found water.' So he called it Sheba; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day." Amen.

 

Isaac's Life and the Essence of Faith: An Unshakable Root 🌱

Isaac's life illuminates the essence of faith and helps us understand the source of our spiritual crises. The Lord's promise we first explored, "I will be with you," is a core statement defining our identity as believers. Scripture declares that none of us lives for ourselves or conducts our lives independently, for we belong to Christ, and He has promised to accompany us.

 

So, when does our faith waver most? It's precisely when we lose awareness of our fellowship with Christ. When we're burdened by the pressure of facing the world alone and feeling we must solve all problems by ourselves, we inevitably face a crisis of faith. Meditating on Isaac's life, with gratitude that "the Lord is with me," helps us reflect on what we might overlook or lose.

 

The moment we forget our fundamental reality as sojourners, we try to put down deep roots in this land and leave an eternal mark. We mistakenly believe this world is all there is, and in the end, by desperately clinging to everything, we live losing all the joy this earth can take from us. This means believers can easily miss the abundant blessings they're meant to enjoy. How easily we can let slip away the immeasurable graces the Lord has freely given us.

 

Today, we'll delve deeply into just two of the six lessons from Isaac's life. Let me state upfront that these two stories are by no means brief messages. But don't worry, I won't artificially prolong the sermon.

 

Isaac's Hardship and God's Companionship: Persistent Endurance 🌾

Isaac's life is detailed in Genesis 26:12-33. Settling in Gerar with King Abimelech's permission, Isaac began farming and, astonishingly, reaped a hundredfold harvest. His flocks and possessions greatly multiplied, accumulating immense wealth. However, Isaac's prosperity provoked the envy of the Philistines, and eventually, Abimelech asked Isaac to leave.

 

Isaac departed Gerar and went down to the Valley of Gerar to seek a new dwelling. There he dug wells, and water gushed forth from every one. But the Philistines tried to seize even these wells, and Isaac continued his nomadic life, constantly moving. Finally, when he settled again, Abimelech came to him, which is the core of today's passage. Thus, Isaac faced constant hardship and conflict throughout his life.

 

God's Timeless Promise: 'I Will Be with You' 🌟

In Genesis 3, God clearly declared, "I will be with you," and this statement recurs throughout the latter part of Isaac's life. The 'I will be with you' in verse 3 is a future tense promise, meaning 'I will be with you,' and it is God's covenant valid throughout Isaac's entire life.

 

A second confirmation appears in verse 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 multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.'" Here, 'I am with you' reappears, but the tense is present. This indicates that God is accompanying Isaac at that very moment, just as He promised.

 

The most striking expression comes in verse 28. In today's passage, Abimelech and his officials confess to Isaac, "We have seen clearly that the Lord is with you." This is a perfect tense expression, testifying that 'the Lord has been with you from then until now' and they have directly witnessed it.

 

This three-tense progression of God's companionship—future, present, and perfect—is not limited to Isaac. We, too, have received the Lord's promise, and we confess that the Lord is with us at this very moment, and He has protected us through all past moments. The hymn we love to sing, 'All the Way My Savior Leads Me,' is precisely our daily confession of this unchanging companionship with God.

 

Human Nature and Isaac's Anger: Wounds and Truth 😡

Now, I want to offer a deeper challenge. 'Isn't this too obvious? Then why is it repeated so often?' The explanation that we often forget holds some truth. However, if we ponder this passage more deeply, we can understand the context in which Isaac's promise with King Abimelech and God's covenant with Isaac run in parallel. Abimelech seemed to keep his promise, but eventually asked Isaac to leave. Being allowed to live together and then suddenly being told to leave is truly an outrageous situation.

 

What was the first thing Isaac set out to do? It was farming. Farming requires at least six to eight months, and typically a year, of time and effort, regardless of the scale of the harvest. After cultivating the land for so long and planting seeds, waiting for the harvest, he was suddenly asked to leave. This was by no means an ordinary event.

 

Some might understand Isaac's story as him willingly giving up wells, being gentle and humble, and thus receiving God's blessings. But if that's what you believe, you need to look carefully again at verse 27 that we read today:

 

"Isaac said to them, 'Why have you come to me, since you hate me and sent me away from you?'"

 

Isaac harbored a strong 'lingering resentment'. Even though much time had passed, he expressed his anger, saying, "You told me to leave back then, and now you come to discuss peace?" Isaac was angry, and his heart had been deeply wounded. His efforts to settle were frustrated, so his heart was not at peace. It seems God revealed Isaac's true feelings in verse 27, lest we mistakenly think Isaac generously yielded the wells, when in fact God's subtle providence was involved in the well incident. Otherwise, we might have simply dismissed this story as 'Isaac was patient, and Abimelech was bad.' Despite Isaac's human emotions, God constantly reiterates, "I am with you."

 

God's Companionship in Blessing and Hardship: His Providence 🤲

We often think that Isaac received God's promised blessings, yielding a hundredfold harvest and becoming rich with large flocks. And we might assume that God couldn't just give blessings, so He also gave hardships and difficulties. Is that truly the case? If so, there would have been no need to emphasize 'I will be with you' so much. Instead, He would have explained the meaning of suffering.

 

In fact, the Lord is speaking a crucial truth that we often take for granted but that He consistently wants to emphasize. When Isaac reaped a hundredfold harvest from his farming, God was with him. Amen. The same was true when he became very wealthy through sheep herding. Amen. But what about when he had to leave everything behind? It's like a 'no man's land.' It might feel as if God was not with him. If God had been with him, shouldn't He have enabled him to use what He had given? While he could take some sheep, how could he dig up and carry the farmland?

 

What we must never forget about Isaac's life is that God was with him not only in his good moments. Rather, God was with him even in his greatest failures, injustices, anger, and moments when he felt he had lost everything. This can only be described as the astonishing grace of the Lord. When we read the Bible, we often take it lightly, as if it's someone else's story, but how utterly devastating it must have been for Isaac? It's like discovering that the company you worked your whole life to build was actually owned by someone else—a truly despairing tale. Yet, the Bible says God was with him even when he went through such things. This goes beyond merely 'God was helping him from behind when he faced difficulties.' It means that even amidst those struggles, God's providence and work were unfolding and being accomplished. God wasn't just standing by idly; His will was at work in all those events. This holds significant meaning as it prompts us to reflect on 'what is our life?'

 

Friends, Isaac clearly stated that he was hated. He himself mentioned, 'Did you not hate me and tell me to leave?' He even filled up the wells. They filled up the wells that provided essential water for survival, even though they weren't using them themselves. So Isaac had to go around searching for those wells again. In that case, when and how was God with him?

 

We realize through this that God's promised 'blessings' and the way He bestows them are quite different from what we might imagine. It's not merely that He gives us better things through suffering. It's that God is with us even in the suffering itself, meaning that you and I are never alone in any circumstance.

 

How many disappointments do we face in our lives? We are disappointed by people, by the church, sometimes by ourselves, by trusted family and friends. Disappointments are countless. At such times, everything seems twisted, unresolved, difficult, and problematic. However, the promise God has given to believers is that even in those moments, God is with us.

 

The Greatest Blessing: The Fullness of Christ 👑

What God desires to give you is not merely blessings, but the best blessing, the ultimate good. Instead of elaborating on what this ultimate blessing is, I will begin by quoting Paul's admonition. In Ephesians, Paul expresses it as "to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge." Paul's prayer is not for the prosperity of the saints' businesses, or the restoration of their health, or material gains. It is difficult to find such types of supplications in Paul's prayers in the Bible.

 

The essence of Paul's prayer for the saints is, "I want you to know Christ." Did the saints not know Christ? No, they did. But at the same time, we still don't fully know who the Lord truly is. "And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." This is the ultimate purpose of Paul's prayer, and the true purpose for which believers live on this earth. To be filled with all the fullness of God is a reality we should experience and enjoy. How will God work in this life journey towards such fullness? "I am with you."

 

If we think, 'God is with me only if my business prospers and I live happily,' then what happens when we are not happy? At that point, we might believe God is not with us. 'I have worshipped, prayed, and praised God like this, but what if my child doesn't turn out the way I want?' Then it might feel as if God is doing something wrong.

 

But that's not the case. If even those moments are a process to fill us with God's fullness, then your life is now a life of being filled with God, and therefore, it is literally 'Amen.' Of course, that doesn't mean we have no tears. Why wouldn't we have tears? It hurts, it's difficult. Can we say painful moments are good? Nevertheless, how angry and resentful Isaac must have been? Yet, the Lord speaks to him again, "I am with you, don't be angry. I am with you, don't feel too wronged. Because I intend to fill you with My fullness. With My abundance, with this wisdom I possess, with this wonderful righteousness, with this love, with this forbearance, with this forgiveness, with this joy, I intend to fill you. You are going through this with Me because the world cannot give it." Therefore, Paul declares, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us."

 

What you and I can imagine is making our lives a little more comfortable. While this may not be our sole desire, it is likely one of our strongest longings. We all desire comfort. That's why my mother often used to tell me, "Why do people give Nobel Prizes for useless things like discovering DNA? They should give Nobel Prizes to those who invented the electric rice cooker, the washing machine, people like that. Think of how many people they have greatly impacted, yet they don't get awards for such things, only for some useless things I don't even understand." She had a point.

 

However, if God were to value what we imagine most and fill us with it, what would we truly gain? Do you recall this story? A child went to a store with his father. The store owner, charmed by the child, said, "Here, I'll give you candy; go over to the candy section and take a handful." But the child didn't take any candy and kept looking at the owner. "Oh, it's okay. Don't worry about me, just take as much as you want." Still, the child didn't take any and continued to look at the owner. Why? Because he wanted the owner to take it out for him. The reason was simple: the owner's hand was much bigger than his own.

 

Friends, God is greater than you, and He is beyond description and incomparable to anything. He desires to give it to you. Can your small hands fully grasp it? Can we measure its depth with our tears? Is our suffering all there is to it? No. The Lord says, "I will be with you and work in your life until My fullness fills you." This is an astonishing truth that abundantly, instantly surpasses our meager expectations and thoughts.

 

We pray for health, but what does the Lord say? He says, "I give you eternal life." How can this even be compared? We desire wealth, but the Lord says, "I give you Jesus Christ." When we see this, we transcend the limits of our own understanding. Even the vast numbers we commonly use now, like a trillion, used to be a huge unit, roughly equivalent to Korea's annual budget. Nowadays, Apple's stock value has exceeded 3 trillion dollars. Can you even calculate how much 3 trillion dollars is? We can't even calculate that, so how great could the big numbers we know truly be? How then can we possibly comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of Jesus Christ with our limited thoughts?

 

'Pastor, you speak so positively about 'fullness, fullness,' but I'm in deep trouble right now.' You might think this. But the reason for this is that this value is simply incalculable. There is no comparison between Jesus Christ, whom God promises to give, and the toy I want to have right now. The difference cannot be explained or put into words. That's why, even after hearing this message, we can only think, 'Yes, it's a good word.'

 

However, if we meditate on that word a bit more, and consider whether that God in your heart is truly such a being, one who gives us things that go beyond all we can ask or imagine, things we could never dream of. Don't we all desire happiness? Do you know how generous God is? He says He will just give us the Kingdom of God. That kind of being is our Father. Friends, please don't mess with me from now on. My Father is that kind of being. I live with such a one. And He is your Father too. Friends, I believe this is such a necessary perspective for our hearts.

 

The Shield of Faith and the Spear of Challenge: Companionship and Fellowship 🛡️🗡️

In today's sermon, I want to convey two core messages. The first is like a shield, helping you realize the astonishing grace you have received. The second is like a spear, aiming to pierce deeply into your heart.

 

Friends, the promise we mentioned earlier, "God is with me," applies to us across three tenses. God will be with us in every moment yet to come. No one will end their life alone, isolated even unto death. We will sleep with the Lord, rise again with the Lord, and share in His resurrection and all glory with the Lord. Even at this very moment, in this place of worship, God does not leave your side but accompanies you, and you will continue to experience this reality in your life.

 

At the same time, if you perceive yourself as such a being, I earnestly hope that you will look at the believers around you with the same perspective. I ask you to see them through God's warm eyes. It's not just in your life that God is present; there are clear traces of God's presence in their lives too. You might think their traces are not as deep or fervent as yours. 'Nothing compared to me, why are they hurting so much over something so small?' you might think. But these are surely precious traces given by God. Seeing these traces together, comforting each other, encouraging, and rejoicing is what true fellowship among believers is all about.

 

Redigging the Wells and Restoring the Covenant: Unwavering Faith 💧

Now, let's move on to the second story. If we found comfort in understanding how God's companionship transcends time, then let us now deepen that meaning through Isaac's life, specifically through 'Redigging the Wells,' which is also the title of today's sermon.

 

The wells Isaac initially used were actually those his father Abraham had dug beforehand. The reason Isaac was so successful in farming and his flocks prospered was not due to his own exceptional ability, but because of the wells Abraham had already dug. As a result, he enjoyed all his prosperity. It was a desperate time, with severe drought and famine, to the extent that people had to abandon the land of Canaan and migrate elsewhere. However, God allowed Isaac to freely use abundant water there, which led to the increase in his flocks and bountiful harvests.

 

But the Philistines came and filled up those wells. This provides deep insight into human nature. Why would they fill up something that could be shared? Don't we often, when we're not doing well ourselves, wish for others not to do well either, rather than acknowledging their success? We humans are truly strange beings. When others genuinely succeed, we feel like we should applaud them, but often, while applauding outwardly, we secretly think, 'Just wait and see.' The Philistines starkly reveal this darker side of human nature. Anyway, they filled up the wells, and Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave.

 

Isaac left Gerar and headed for the Valley of Gerar. But there, too, were wells that Abraham had dug long ago. Those wells of Abraham were actually purchased. Abraham had secured ownership of those wells by making a covenant with Abimelech (the previous king) with seven ewe lambs. However, when Isaac arrived, he found that all those wells had also been buried. What Isaac did was to redig those wells.

 

But friends, this is not merely a situation to commend. It was a time of severe drought due to famine, a desperate situation where nothing could be expected. If it were so easy to find water by redigging in already dry places, the Philistines would not have filled up the wells in the first place. But as Isaac began to dig, surprisingly, water began to gush forth. This was like the proverb, 'When your cousin buys land, your stomach hurts,' or an outsider taking the place of an insider. The Philistines' anger must have reached its peak, and eventually, a conflict began.

 

Friends, this first story is about the restoration of the wells Abraham had dug. And the overarching theme running through Isaac's life is a life in which continuous restoration occurs.

 

Spiritual Crisis and the Memory of the Covenant: The Unlost Center 🧭

This story offers a precious lesson to believers. When the well of faith in our lives is filled in, and we fail to redig it, we are prone to spiritual crisis. This is because we forget the covenant made between God and Abraham, that is, the promises God has given us. The Lord constantly reminds us of this very fact.

 

Isaac's act of redigging the wells was not mere labor; it was an act of confession of faith. He was proclaiming, 'Abraham's God is my God. The Lord who blessed Abraham is my blessing. The God who made a covenant with Abraham is the God who also made a covenant with me.' It was not because Isaac was good at finding water or particularly outstanding. He was appealing to God's covenant.

 

A Pastor's Concerns and the Path to Restoration: Rediscovering Grace 🙏

You and I experience countless trials, temptations, and deep despair in life. I am no exception. A recent survey revealed that 78% of pastors have considered giving up ministry. I expected it to be around 20%, but I was surprised by such a high number. It shows that ministry is by no means an easy path. Although I didn't think so before, recently I've wondered if I might be among that 78%.

 

So, how have I walked this path so far? It's because of you. You are my tears and my joy. Like the book titled 'My Burden, My Joy,' the church seems to be that kind of presence for all of us. But whenever difficulties arise, we try to solve the problems directly. We ask, 'How can I change this person's heart?' or 'How can this situation turn out well?'

 

However, as I meditated on this passage again, I repented and thought deeply. 'Ah, I was missing something.' If change is needed in our lives, it must begin with restoration. That restoration lies in remembering the covenant God made with me, that is, the cross of Christ and God's grace. I began to re-examine whether I was now deeming that grace lightly, or if grace was leaking from within me.

 

I believe that when faith issues arise, we should first ask ourselves, "Am I not standing in Isaac's place?" This is because true restoration lies in recalling the covenant made with God and redigging the wells for that purpose.

 

The Depth of the Cross and God's Love: The Source of Life ❤️‍🔥

We all seem to know what the cross is, but Pastor Spurgeon always said, "I repent so greatly this morning, for this morning I looked at the cross, and no tears came to my eyes." Do you understand this sentiment? The question of how deeply we engrave the cross of Christ in our hearts and lives, and live by it, is like the act of redigging a well.

 

In a land of famine, Isaac dug a well once again. This was his firm resolve not to forget the covenant. Isaac, driven into the desert after losing his farmland, instead of despairing and thinking, 'How can I live here?' as he looked at the parched land, remembered the covenant his father Abraham had made with God. This is a process of reflecting on how much Christ loved us by taking up the cross, and truly understanding how deeply God the Father loves us. If all these truths are within us, we remember that we can stand firm in any difficulty and walk with the Lord.

 

God, who called us by grace, does not abandon even our hardened and dry hearts. Just as He did not abandon Isaac's heart, which was full of anger. Even our hearts, which are distressed and frustrated, and so timid that they might easily burst forth at any story, the Lord does not abandon, but constantly drenches them with the water of grace. Have we truly seen that love? Are we redigging that well? How deep is that well, and how abundant is the water contained within it? Are we enjoying it now?

 

Jesus Outside the Door and True Motivation: The Master of My Life 🚪🚶‍♂️

The hymn we just sang, 'Jesus, You Stand Outside the Door,' is based on the words the Lord spoke to the church in Laodicea, recorded in Revelation 3. This passage is widely known for evangelistic purposes, along the lines of 'The Lord is knocking on the door of your heart; open it wide and receive Him.' However, as you may have felt while singing, this is not an evangelistic verse for unbelievers. Rather, it is a message given to believers.

 

As the hymn lyrics say, 'Jesus stands outside the door waiting,' yet we, 'though we claim to believe and call upon His name,' leave the Lord outside the door. How shocking and challenging a message is this? This is why I called it a 'spear.' Seeing this hymn and the way God constantly restores and raises up Isaac in his life, this hymn came to mind because we are indeed leaving the Lord outside the door in this manner.

 

Let's look at the background of how this hymn came to be. Reverend William How, who composed this song, always meditated on the Lord with Hunt's famous painting, 'The Light of the World,' hanging in his study. (You've probably seen the brighter version where Jesus, in a white robe, holds a lamp and knocks on the door, holding the doorknob.) Hunt's original painting is very dark, with only Jesus radiating light, facing forward, and His hand, holding the door to knock, depicted on the side.

 

Meditating on this painting, Reverend How was deeply moved by a sermon he read one day and wrote this hymn. He recorded the part that moved him so deeply:

"Oh, you rich and powerful ones, and you young people who think yourselves happy, do you not hear this knocking? Do you not see this image of Jesus, with nailed hands, crowned with thorns from which drops of blood fall, His hands now weary, yet still patiently knocking on the door? Open the door quickly before this broken heart of Jesus departs forever." As soon as Reverend How read this passage, he was overcome with profound emotion.

 

Why was it such a profound emotion? Because it was his own reflection. Look at the last part of this passage. The reason Jesus knocks on the door is not to say, 'Let me in quickly so you can believe in Jesus.' Instead, it is, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and and he with Me."

 

Friends, is the true motivation for your life precisely this word? That the Lord is with you, that 'the Lord with me, and I with the Lord,' and because of you, the Lord also rejoices, delights with you, and listens, and you, too, are satisfied and joyful through the Lord, eating with Him—is that the true motivation for your service, for loving others, for caring for your family, for educating your children, for gathering for church worship?

 

Because we eat with Christ and He eats with us, because of this joy of living with Him, does this hold us firm in every situation, does this make us stand in this place, and does this sustain our lives? Or are we leaving Jesus, who says, 'Come eat and drink with me, love me, enjoy all these things with me,' outside the door, while acting as if this house is our own, as if we are the owners?

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

 

Friends, how far should restoration go? We must drink and eat of this bread of life and this water of life. The story of the cross, which is so obvious and familiar to our ears, must pierce deeply into your hearts, that I am joyful because of Christ and I live because of Christ. We must ask, 'Who am I?' and fully surrender those wounds into the Lord's forgiveness. We must truly understand how great that forgiveness is and what that love is like.

 

Life in Christ Beyond Strife, Accusation, and Condemnation: The Path to Victory 🏆

Through this event, we clearly see what Isaac overcame. Immediately upon digging the well, direct attacks came. So he called that well 'Esek,' which means 'dispute' or 'strife.' Disputes and quarrels were incessant, but they could not shake Isaac. Neither disputes nor attacks could bring him down. Why? It was because of the true faith we have been examining, which involves eating and drinking with Christ.

 

The second well's name was 'Sitnah,' which means 'accusation'. No accusation could shake him. Even accusations like, 'How can you live like that, believing in Jesus?' could not bring him down. 'You are Isaac? You, the patriarch, lied that Rebekah was your sister!' All such condemnations also could not shake him. This was because he was in Christ.

 

Ultimately, he reached 'Rehoboth'. We too will reach that place. Rehoboth means 'open space'. As we learned last time, we are beings who live in the ocean, not in a fishbowl. Whales cannot be kept in fishbowls; they can only live in the ocean. Isaac found not only Abraham's well, but the text says he discovered 'a spring of living water'. In English, 'Living Water' is more appropriate than 'source'. He found a well of living water and began to drink from it.

 

God's Unceasing Grace and the Blessing of Completion 🎁

Our Father, the Lord, consistently bestowed upon Isaac the very best, guiding him towards the fullness of the Lord's presence at every turn of his life. At the end of his journey, a living spring emerged. When water flowed from it, sustaining him, he named the town 'Beersheba'. This was the same name Abraham had given, and it was the same location. Why the repetition of the same act?

 

Beersheba holds two meanings. 'Sheba' signifies an oath, meaning 'the well of the covenant'. This was the well Abraham had already spoken of. However, 'sheba' in Beersheba also means 'seven'. Seven is the number of perfection. Thus, it became the well of completion.

 

Friends, Isaac experienced the Lord's grace to the very end. God's ultimate good reaches you and me. This is the entire narrative of the Old Testament. The Lord gives, and gives again, always providing something better. And finally, He bestows the absolute best at the end. What is it? It is Jesus Christ. We are now receiving and experiencing this Christ.

 

He gave us Christ, He brings us to life in Christ, and Christ becomes our fullness. You are destined to be filled not with anything else, but with the love, wisdom, grace, and humility of Jesus Christ. You are destined for fullness upon fullness. Until that fullness is attained, God will tirelessly and relentlessly hold onto you throughout your life. Whether through tears or laughter, through pain and worry, through conflict, or through difficult and challenging moments, the Lord will uncompromisingly lead you to the place of fullness He speaks of. And that is you and me. The paths to this journey are diverse: some arrive beaten, some singing joyfully, some walking in joyful obedience. I have witnessed countless examples. I've been beaten too, and it brings a little comfort to know that no one has ever come without being touched by struggle. But friends, what does a little suffering or difficulty truly matter? You have been invited to a place of God's fullness that is beyond imagination and comparison, and He promises to bring it to fruition. This is not my promise, nor anyone else's, but God's promise. For He will fill you with blessings beyond what you can conceive.

 

We Have Found Water: A Confession of Joy and Grace 🙏💧

The servants came to Isaac and said, "Master, we have found water." Isaac replied, "Indeed? Then let us call it 'Sheba'. Let us declare it the culmination of God's great grace. Let us say it is the place where His grace overflows for me." Of course, another 'Sheba' awaits us in the future, and we will experience the fullness of Jesus Christ even more deeply. But at this very moment, on this day when Christ has helped us this far, let us also proclaim: "We have finally brought forth water. Here, water has appeared. Let us call this place Sheba. Let us call it the joy of my life. Let us call it the place of my God's grace. Let us call this place 'Ebenezer'."

 

Let Us Pray 🙏

From within his belly will flow rivers of living water. We believe that the promise the Lord made has been fulfilled in us today. We are not even worthy vessels to contain Him, nor do we deserve to experience Him, nor can we even discern His taste at times, yet the Lord continues to lead our lives with the best, the sweetest, and the most beautiful. Lord, grant that we may not be lazy or neglectful in the work of digging wells. Help us to remember where we stand, to remember You, and to rediscover our faith. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.