Gen_26:22
“He removed from thence, and digged another well… and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
What of Today’s Verse…
ISAAC SEEMS to be rather a disappointing character and we sometimes wonder that he should be classed with Abraham, the father of all who believe; and Jacob, who prevailed with the Angel and became a Prince! He was passive, quiet, given to thoughtful meditation (Gen_24:63). God’s purpose includes all sorts and types of men, and Isaac dug wells of which men have drunk for thousands of years.
He was constantly pursued by enmity, jealousy, and strife, as the names of his wells attest. But each time he consistently retired from the conflict, and yielded his well to dig another. Finally, his enemies had to confess that he was mightier than they were (Gen_26:16). Best of all, God appeared to him “the same night,” and promised that He would be with Him and bless him.
Let us learn to sublimate our resistance to evil, and lift it from the physical to the moral and spiritual level. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty” (Pro_16:32). Go on digging wells–the wells of Family Prayer, of love for the Bible, of holy exercises and habits! You will find spring water (Gen_26:19). That is God’s side of your life. You are called to dig wells, but God’s Holy Spirit will rise up in your soul, and in the souls of others, like the geyser-springs in Arctic regions (Joh_4:14). Let us present to Him ourselves—our souls and bodies, to be the wells and channels, along and through which His eternal Godhead and Power, arising from the fathomless depths of His own nature, may reach this thirsty and parched world!
God is Love: Love is Self-Giving: but God depends on the co-operation of us, the well diggers, to make outlets for the outflow of His Love and Goodness.
Let us Pray:
Most Merciful Father, give us grace that we may never be drawn to do anything that may dishonour Thy Name; but may persevere in all good purposes, and in Thy holy service, unto our lives” end. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
Deliverance Not Limited
Eliphaz in this spoke the truth of God. We may have as many troubles as the workdays of the week, but the God who worked on those six days will work for us until our deliverance is complete. We shall rest with Him and in Him on our Sabbath. The rapid succession of trials is one of the sorest tests of faith. Before we have recovered from one blow, another follows it and another till we are staggered. Still, the equally quick succession of deliverances is exceedingly cheering. New songs are rung out upon the anvil by the hammer of affliction, until we see in the spiritual world the antitype of “the Harmonious Blacksmith.” Our confidence is that when the Lord makes our trials six, six they will be and no more.
It may be that we have no rest day, for seven troubles come upon us. What then? “In seven there shall be no evil touch thee.” Evil may roar at us, but it shall be kept at more than arm’s length and shall not even touch us. Its hot breath may distress us, but its little finger cannot be laid upon us.
With our loins girt about us, we will meet the six or the seven troubles and leave fear to those who have no Father, no Saviour, and no Sanctifier.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.–Job 5:19
