In Genesis chapter 17 we are told of God’s wonderful promise to Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham was 99 years old at the time and God promised that he would bless him with a son through his barren wife Sarah. God also promised that he would bless Abraham’s descendants forever in the Promised Land, to be fruitful, to raise up nations and kings. And Abraham did prosper by God’s blessings into his old age with many children, and servants and flocks and herds. We are also told that after Abraham had died that God blessed and prospered his son, Isaac. But, there is an interesting story about what happened to Isaac that we can learn from. We are told in Genesis 26:12-15 (NKJV)… 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. You see, Isaac’s enemies envied him and set out to sabotage God’s blessings Abraham’s descendents. Isaac’s enemies wanted to destroy his prosperity by stopping up the wells that Abraham had dug. The well water for Isaac’s children, his servants, his flocks and his herds would be cut off. Without water Abraham’s descendents could not flourish. The animals would die off, his children and grandchildren would go thirsty. Abraham’s descendents would not prosper. The promise that God had made to Abraham and his descendents would be crushed. Oh, there is a lesson to be learned here, for God has made great and wonderful promises to all of us who are in Christ Jesus... promises of blessings, promises of provision, promises of prosperity, promises of fruitfulness, promises of joy and peace. The devil wants to stop up the wells of God’s blessings in our lives. You see, in Matthew 5:6 (NKJV), Jesus said… 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. As Christians we hunger for God’s presence in our lives. We thirst for righteousness. Jesus promised us that we would be filled. But, the enemy wants us to believe that God’s promises have been nullified. That we cannot obtain the blessings that God has for us. He wants to discourage us and steal our victory. In John 10:10 (NKJV), Jesus refers to the devil as a thief and says… The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jesus said he came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. But, the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV). Just as with Isaac, the devil wants to steal our blessings. The devil wants to stop up the wells of God’s blessings. The devil wants to kill our hope. The devil wants to destroy our faith in the promises of God. So, what is this abundant life that Jesus was referring to that the devil wants so much to stop? In John 4:5-14 (NKJV) we are told… 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Through Jesus we have a well of living water with the promise of a fulfilling abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world to come. He promises to fill our deepest longings so that we thirst no more. In John 7:38 Jesus said… He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” The fountain of living water is the Holy Spirit of God inside of us who have received Jesus into our hearts. And this is the well that the devil wants to stop up in each and every one of us who believes. The devil envies our prosperity in the Lord. He does not want fountains of living water springing up from our hearts into rivers of life. He wants to dry up our fountains. He wants to damn up our source of blessings from the Lord. And just as the Philistines tried to stop the blessings upon the descendents of Abraham by filling the wells with earth the devil wants to fill our hearts with the dry and meaningless things of this world. He wants to stop the wells of God’s living water. In the book of Acts we are given an example of how the devil tried to stop up God’s wells of blessings in the lives of believers. Christians had received the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, the apostles were performing mighty signs and wonders and the sick were being healed. Peter had healed a lame man that was begging on the porch of the temple and for this deed he and John were arrested by the religious authorities and thrown into jail. Regarding this event we are told in Acts 4:1-12… 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. You see, the authorities thought they could stop up the wells of God’s blessings of signs and miracles by silencing the apostles and commanding them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But the apostles knew better. They did not obey the worldly command to shut up and sit down. No. They stood up for Jesus, the source of their living water and said, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” They were going to keep on preaching in the name of Jesus. They were going to let the fountains of the gospel of Jesus flow. Why? Because, they knew that all of God’s promises to believers are fulfilled and well up through Jesus. Maybe the devil has been trying to stop up the wells of God’s blessings in your life. Maybe the devil has been trying to steal your joy and your victory in Christ. Maybe the devil has been trying to convince you that you cannot have the blessings that God has promised you. Well, remember the devil is a liar! Hold on to God’s promises. Maybe the Lord has promised to bless you with a healing, but the devil seems to be stopping up that well. In the name of Jesus, open up that well of healing and receive God’s blessings. Maybe the Lord has promised to bless you with provision, but the devil seems to be stopping that well. In the name of Jesus, open up that well of provision and receive God’s blessings. Maybe the Lord has promised to bless you with employment, but the devil seems to be stopping that well. In the name of Jesus, open up that well of employment and receive God’s blessings. Maybe the Lord has promised to bless your marriage, but the devil is trying to stop it up by throwing all kinds of garbage into that well. In the name of Jesus open up that well of blessings upon your marriage and receive all that the Lord has for you and your spouse. God has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you. He has promised you hope for the future. He has promised to renew your strength that you might mount up on wings like eagles, that you will run and not grow weary that you will walk and not faint. He has promised that we are more than conquerors. He has promised that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. He has promised that you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you. Hold on to the promises of God and in the name of Jesus open up the wells of his blessings into your life. Maybe the devil has you down and discouraged today. Maybe you haven’t seen or heard or felt the promise of his blessings coming true in your life. Well in the name of Jesus rise up and walk in the newness of faith with the Holy Spirit that he has given you and open up the wells of blessings he has for you. For eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the wonderful things which God has prepared for those who love Him. For He has promised that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power of His Holy Spirit in us. Even so, in the name of Jesus Christ open up the wells of his living waters and receive his blessings right now.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 03:38:06 +0000
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