A well dug well

⁵ Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;
   a wise person draws from the well within. 

(Proverbs 20:5 The Message)

⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding draws it out.

(Proverbs 20:5 The Amplified Bible)

The digger of a well knows that once water is "hit", he may have to go a little deeper to get a "full-flow" of water.  The best is often hidden the deepest.  The well within is something that must be "tapped" in order to be of benefit to the one who needs its refreshment.  The deeper the well, the fresher the water.  The deeper we "tap into" Jesus, the fresher the source will be of all that we need in dry times.

Dry times are as assured as is the fact that life will one day be over for all of us.  We experience the dryness for lots of reasons - but all have the same end in mind - that we might "tap into" Jesus just a little deeper.  To really understand what it means to know refreshment, one must have experienced "thirst".  Nothing is more appreciated when one is "parched" by the dryness of soul, spirit, or emotion, than the sweet refreshing of the Spirit of God.

Nothing satisfies more than a cool drink on a hot day.  We lavish the coolness of that chilled drink on bodies that are hot, exhausted, and probably a little dehydrated.  In response to the refreshing of that drink, our bodies begin to "perk up" again - feeling re-hydrated for the journey ahead.  There is something pretty awesome about being spiritually "re-hydrated"!  If you are in a dry place today, the Spirit of God stands ready to lavish his refreshment upon you - that which comes from the well deep within.

I think the dehydrating things of life are as varied as we are individuals.  Anything in life can suck the energy right out of us.  Whenever we fail to "spiritually re-hydrate", we run the risk of spiritual weakness, anxiety, doubt, and hopelessness.  The "well within" is a cultivated source of strength.  It is during times of "taking in" what God gives that we refill our storehouses for the drier seasons of our lives.  A well that never "takes in" in sufficient quantities to "store up" is really not a well at all.

We need these times of dryness in order that we might "tap deeper" - so we can count on them coming.  If we go too long without "tapping a little deeper" into Jesus, we may find ourselves feeling a little parched in the spiritual sense.  A dry well is of no value to the one who need refreshing.  The well must be kept flowing - God's call today is to "tap a little deeper".  Our part in the process is to take a little time to "drill into" what God has already provided for our source of refreshment.

Well dug wells are like a fountain of vitality.  The wise know where to dig, how deep the next "find" will be, and they don't stop until they reach that point.  If you find the well a little dry today, perhaps it is time to "take in" a little more until those storehouses of God's refreshment are refilled and re-cultivated!