It is WELL with my soul

Greetings Oh Ye Thirsty Ones...have you been drawing from the WELL? Well.........have ya?

In our last Rambling...we observed the woman at the WELL...and saw how she went from relating to a natural WELL...and experienced the supernatural WELL...that will NEVER run dry. In my profession... I work with people who have swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)...and a lot of times I see people who enter the hospital with what is known as FAILURE TO THRIVE. One aspect is malnourishment with noted, unexplained weight loss. Another aspect of failure to thrive...is DEHYDRATION. This is manifested in decreased toxin output...skin that when you pinch it together...stays together. The solution is to help the patient to RE-HYDRATE. This can be done by I.V. fluids and determining the swallowing problem and helping to correct the oral intake process.

In the spiritual...we become DEHYDRATED...and become spiritually failing to thrive because of decrease of intake of the bread of the Word of God...and lack of spiritual water intake. As we ruminated on in the last Rambling...this is because we keep drawing from a WELL...that does not satisfy. Dottie Rambo (pre-Sylvester Stallone Rambo)...wrote a song called FILL MY CUP LORD. It starts of with..."Like the woman at the WELL...I was thirsting...for things that could not satisfy..." Jesus spoke of a WELL where she would not have to trudge down daily...and physically draw water. The correlation was...she does not have to worship in a mountain...or worship in Jerusalem...BUT her spiritual, refreshing, hydrating connection was in her spirit (little s...her human spirit). This is the place...where the WELL is located. (Read John 4 for details of this Samaritan woman's encounter with the WATER-GIVER.)



Another encounter with WATER...is found in John 7:1-42. The scenerio begins at the Feast of Tabernacles...the feast of the Jews that was at hand. Jesus was doing what he had been doing ever since he was anointed by the Holy Spirit...as He went about, teaching, proclaiming the Gospel and the Kingdom, and doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil...for God was with Him. (Acts 10:48; Matthew 4:23-25; Luke 4:15-21)

On the LAST day of the great feast...Jesus stood up and cried out, saying, "If any man is THIRSTY...let Him come to Me...and DRINK." (John 7:37). NOTE: You can bring a horse to water...but you can't make him drink...and the same is true for us...you can come to Jesus...but if you don't drink...all you have experience is a superficial meeting with Him. Many people know ABOUT Jesus...but they have not experience...or drank of Jesus.

Jesus was saying...come to the source. This was not the first time he spoke like this...remember the woman at the well. Jesus then based His teaching on the Word of God when he stated..."He who BELIEVES in me...AS THE SCRIPTURE SAID...'From his INNERMOST BEING shall flow RIVERS OF LIVING WATER." (John 7:38; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 58:11) NOTE: This is the location of the WELL...that is the conduit for the OUTFLOW of LIVING WATERS...not just a trickle...not just a drip...not just barely enough...but an endless supply.

NOTE: To BELIEVE...is not just the assimilation of facts. It is not just an acknowledgement that the historical record is true. It is not a belief in some doctrinal creed that you have been taught from the cradle roll. It is a matter of FAITH. "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality---faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.
(Hebrews 11:1 The Amplified Bible). The word BELIEVE means to trust, clings to, relies on. This is the type of BELIEVER who has access to these RIVERS OF LIVING WATERS...flowing freely out of the INNERMOST BEING (spirit) The BIG S (Holy Spirit) flow out of the little s (human spirit).

There was a song that we use to sing that was written in 1969... called THERE IS A RIVER..."There is a RIVER...that flows from deep within...there is a fountain...that frees the soul from sin...come to these WATERS...there is a vast supply...there is a RIVER..that never shall run dry."

Jesus makes no bones about what He is referring to when he speaks of LIVING WATER. He defines what LIVING WATER IS..."But this He spoke of THE SPIRIT...whom those who BELEIVE in Him were to RECEIVE....for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:39)

The cause and effect of Jesus' teaching was not unity. It was not peaceful. It was not all inclusive. It was disturbing. Some considered Him a prophet...some saying that he is the Christ/Messiah (the one coming to free them from the tyranny of the world system and Roman rule)...others question that the Christ couldn't come from Galille (can any good thing come from Galilee?)...wan't He suppose to come from Bethlehem (and He did). (John 7:40-42).

The cause and effect of Jesus being on the scene was DIVISION (much like today). "So there arose a DIVISION in the multitude BECAUSE OF HIM. And some wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him." (John 7:43-44) This thing escalated to the point of there being a split within the officers...Pharisees to the point of them wondering if anyone among them has beleived..."No one of the rulers or Pharisees has BELIEVED IN HIM...has he?" (John 7:48) Nicodemaus (read John 3:1-16)...and reason with them on the basis of the Law...to the point that they questioned Nick..."You are not also from Galilee...are you?"
(John 7:49-52)

The question remains...where do you stand...on the side of Jesus...or the side of the Pharisees. Do you want to remain thristy...or quenched. Are you satisfied with MAN MADE WELLS...or SPIRITUAL WELLS OF LIVING WATERS.

Belly up to the WELL boys...and gals...and DRINK UP.

Love and Rivers of Kisses
Rod "Deep Waters" Boyd