# 242 Stopping Up Your Well

The Book of Genesis

Day 242

Ge 26:13 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. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we." 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.

The Lord blessed Isaac and he was doing very well in the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines were very jealous of him. So jealous that they wanted him out of their territory, and the way they sought to move him out was to keep filling the wells that Isaac needed for his family and his livestock.

It’s interesting that we read of no act of retaliation on Isaac’s part. I mean, I think I might be more than a little miffed about this tampering with my water, how about you?

Even as Isaac began to withdraw, he finds that the Philistines have filled up the wells that his father had dug. The message is clear, “You are not welcome here.”This is the message followers of Christ will run into in varying degrees of intensity as they seek to live Spirit filled (read that water-filled) lives. The Holy Spirit referred to “living water” in God’s Word. Joh 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The mere presence of a believer in the midst of unbelievers can create this kind of animosity. I remember my days working at a secular radio station. After my conversion to Christ, I would end my radio show every day by simply saying. “God bless you.” This irritated a listener who wrote the station and complained about my “constant preaching” on the air waves.  (She was in a sense trying to stop up my well.)

R. C. Sproul writing in his Christian classic, (The Holiness of God)  tells about a leading professional golfer years ago who was invited to play in a foursome with Gerald Ford, Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. He had played with Nicklaus before, but he was in awe of playing with President Ford and Billy Graham.

After the round was finished, one of the other pros came up and asked, “Hey, what was it like playing with the President and with Billy Graham?” The pro unleashed a torrent of cursing, and said in a disgusting manner, “I don’t need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat.” With that he turned and stormed off, heading for the practice tee.

Funny thing, the pro later admitted that Billy had not said one single thing about “religion” when they played.

Face it! Be prepared for it! Not everyone will be thrilled with the fact that you are a Spirit filled follower of Christ. The unregenerated man is revulsed by the light of Christ because they love their sin! Joh 3:19 says, "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Take heart when someone attempts to stop up your well, for it is a testimony that you are a follower of Christ, and a citizen of heaven!  . Mt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.