I'm in Genesis 26, where Isaac and his servants are digging and re-digging wells for water. What arduous work that was! Digging wells with hands and whatever tools they had until they hit water, lining the wells so the dirt would not collapse in, and then capping the well to keep the water clean. Re-digging the wells of Isaac's father, Abraham, that had been filled in with dirt by the enemy. Very labor intensive work!
To me this speaks of seeking - of groping - for Jesus - the Water of Life! He tells us to seek! There is something important to the work, or experience, of seeking. NASB 1995 version of Acts 17:27 is my absolute favorite expression of the verse, saying, "... that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..." This idea of 'groping' for Jesus. It's what I do. Perhaps it's like digging a well. The enemy has thrown dirt in the wells of those that were dug before us. We re-dig them. We revive their testimonies again and again. To God be the glory!
In my recent exhaustion I have been left a bit unfeeling. Not in a jaded way, but in a depletion. There is a saturation point, and I am at the desaturation point. Dehydrated, one might say. The demands of life have depleted my umph. There is no room left for me - Praise Jesus! I'm at the back of the line with the stragglers and the needy. Allelujah! I remember it has never been about my survival and self preservation. Following Jesus has always been about laying down my life. It's always been about a cross.
It takes the crushing of the olive to make the precious oil... The oil to keep the lamp light burning. Is this the oil the 5 unprepared virgins were without? Had they not experienced the crushing? Had they been unwilling, and had this left them unprepared when the Bridegroom arrived? They did not do the necessary work of preparation for their Bridegroom. When He finally arrived there was no oil for their lamps, and no time left...
Making of oil takes pressure (crushing) and time. There is a necessary separation of the pulp (flesh) from the oil. How convenient it is to simply go to the store and buy your oil. Yet, even that takes time... Seeking, effort, expense.
Google says that "in ancient times, olive oil was made by crushing ripe olives into a paste, pressing the paste in woven bags or baskets to extract the oil, and then allowing the liquid to settle so the oil could separate from the water and pulp. The harvested olives were typically first crushed using stone mills or by hand, then the resulting pulp was placed into baskets and put under pressure from weights, a lever, or a large screw. The oil was collected in vats, and hot water was sometimes added to help wash out the last bits of oil."
Time, pressure, separation...
With taking up the cross comes resurrection. Baptism is the symbol of this principal. We die and are buried with Christ. We rise again and live with Christ. The arduous and important work of digging wells, and re-digging of wells that the enemy has filled with dirt, rewards us with refreshing water - and water is life. Jesus Christ is the Water of Life! We seek Him - grope for Him - although He is not far from us. This is important work! How much more we appreciate refreshing water after having worked for it. When too much comes too easily we can lack gratitude and take our Jesus - our Bridegroom - for granted, ultimately leaving us unprepared. This ought never be.
We can expect to be crushed in the process of preparation for our Bridegroom... So we may have oil in our lamps. Allelujah! We can expect to seek (dig and re-dig wells), and expect to find Jesus, the water of life! We do it for the joy set before us. The joy of the Lord is my strength. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Tend to those wells, Brothers and Sisters... Seek Jesus!
