Digging Up The Old Wells Of Abraham – Part 1
THE INVALUABLE LESSONS FROM ABRAHAM
“And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar”(Genesis 20:1). Isaac in his own walk with God was living in the same place where his father had dwelt years earlier. God was about to show Himself mighty on Isaac’s behalf. In this place where Abraham had faced tremendous trials and had overcome, so Isaac would experience the same victories with God’s help. When Abraham lived there, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, had wronged him. Abraham had every right to become bitter and hold grievances towards this king. Instead, he chose to pray and ask God to bless and restore this man, as well as his whole household.
Today many Christians are feeble, and their prayers ineffective. They weep and ask God, “Why am I so weak and my prayers powerless?” Yet, if these same believers would respond like Abraham did and forgive those who have unjustly hurt them, they would experience incredible freedom and see miraculous things happen. It is interesting to note in the very next chapter of Genesis, Abraham’s barren wife Sarah, supernaturally becomes pregnant with Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old. When you choose to go God’s way and do what He says, the miraculous power of God begins to be released in your life.
LAY ASIDE HUMAN REASONING
After Isaac was born, Sarah said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son [Ishmael] of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” (Genesis 21:10). In essence, she was exhorting him to put away the works and reasoning of human endeavor. “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba” (Genesis 21:14). Abraham revealed true character by having the courage to do what was right. Every Christian who wants to live a victorious life in Christ reaches a point where he says, “God, I give up trying to figure out things in my own strength. I lay aside all my own thinking and trust explicitly in your ability to keep me.”
Not only does God ask you to lay aside fleshly thinking but He wants you to give to Him those things you treasure most. Testing comes to us all and we must decide if we are willing to trust God with those things that are closest to our heart. In Genesis 22, Abraham demonstrated his own willingness to give up all that he cherished, if God required it. Nothing was dearer to him than his own son, Isaac, who was his heart and life. Isaac represented the very essence of everything God had promised Abraham, and now He was asking him to give Isaac back as a sacrifice to God. In total obedience, Abraham believed God was able to raise the dead as he had witnessed in his own body. So Abraham took Isaac to a mountain where he prepared to offer him to God. You know the story well how as he was about to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord stayed his hand and the boy lived. Hallelujah!
Abraham then worshipped God on that mountain and referred to Him by a new name, Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider). Abraham had come to understand that God would make provision for everything he would ever need in his life. What is dear to your heart? What is it that stands between you and Christ that He might be asking you to give to Him? Obey the Holy Spirit today, God will open your eyes and you will know Him as Jehovah Jireh, your Provider.
WELLS OF LIVING WATER
Isaac was in a dry and barren place, he needed to see God as the one who would take care of him. So, he began to dig again the same wells of Abraham. “And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water” (Genesis 26:19). In the Hebrew text, the Scriptures indicate that the words springing water here literally mean alive or living water. God was providing life sustaining water for Isaac’s family, servants and herds.