Every once in awhile, a book comes along that I absolutely must read.
Correction. Not just read, but ingest. The message is intended as a life changer.
When Kathy mentioned she was thinking of reading this book as a group, I knew I had to be part of this beautiful adventure. I describe it that way because I've always related to the Samaritan woman at the well. In the Bible, Jesus 'knows' all there is to know about her past and her adulterous lifestyle. He offers living water to fill the holes in her heart from all the wells that dried up previously in her life.
Reflections From The Well is my documented journey through Mark Hall's beautiful book, The Well.
(Click on the book cover)
Last night, we reflected on Chapter One
For most of my life, I looked to things like men, money, and career for fulfillment. They were my 'wells'. Hall describes our own wells as "a mirage concocted by the desires of our flesh and worsened by the enemy of our souls. What we consider wells are mere holes.
The satisfaction withers away, just like anything of the world. Our thirst for more returns, so we set out to find more holes in the ground. I just love this analogy!
"The Samaritan woman thought she was standing beside a well, but it was really a hole in the ground. The hole only offered temporary relief. Jesus insists on being the Well....Is Jesus the Well for you? Are you drawing from something you believe will sustain you, while making Jesus a last resort? When Jesus isn't our well, we often compound the problem by trying to fix things on our own."
Moving from Well to Well was just what I did most of my life. When I was content, it did not take long before I was looking for something else to fill the never ending black hole in my heart. I was carrying my own Well inside of me. It was dry and dark. I needed Jesus' Living Water to fill that deep, dark well.
Hall introduces Iris in this chapter who is thirsty for substance and love. She is similar to the Samaritan woman. The common denominator for all three of us is we sought many men to fill the void only One Man could possibly fill.
"Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:10,13-14
As I reflect on how much has changed over the past several years, Jesus has become my Well. I also find myself seeking man's approval. This is a well that will only disappoint. My prayer is for God's Spirit to intervene whenever my mind takes a walk, reminding me that my only source of reward and praise comes from God. Our spiritual blessings will be far better than the physical things we know in this life. Our eternity in God’s presence will be much more glorious and joyful than physical rewards. All physical things, no matter how beautiful, enjoyable or valuable, are only weak shadows of infinitely better heavenly rewards.
David put it this way: "You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
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