Brother Preacher

I’ve been bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Ran game on. Swindled, if you will. I was watching the news the other day and I found out that my favorite bottled water provider has been tricking me. The report stated that Aquafina really isn’t as “fina” as I thought it was. Specifically it stated that “the label on Aquafina water bottles will soon be changed to spell out that the drink comes from the same source as tap water.” Tap water!?!?!? Tap water? You mean I could have been drinking my water from what the old folks call the spicket? Remember when you used to play outside and take turns drinkin’ water from the water hose?

Nowadays it seems like we all have to have bottled water. Aquafina aint right yall. Yeah, I know bottled water providers have purified it several times over, but the fact remains that the source is the same. Then I realized how spoiled I am. I recently looked at the woman at the well in John 4. These folks used to have to travel miles and miles just to draw water from a well. Walk for some water? Knowing me, I would be one dehydrated joker because I don’t walk anywhere. Y’all pray for me because I drive across the street just to go to the store. I’m working on it though.

But I’ve been looking at some well and water passages in the Bible and God gave me this word, so I’m going to be obedient on this one. As you read this, I want you to get out an imaginary shovel because I got some real dirt. Now I aint talkin’ about Entertainment Tonight or Us Weekly dirt. No, I’m talkin’ about some spiritual dirt that we need to unearth. Let’s hop right in.

“Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham; for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham.”-Genesis 26:18

Isaac’s story is unique. His father, Abraham, took him to prayer meeting that he didn’t expect him to return from because he was gonna sacrifice him (See Genesis 21). He had an older brother who he never got a chance to play with (See Genesis 22). On the other hand, Isaac did something when he was fully mature that we can’t miss. He dug wells up from his father’s day that had been stopped up by Philistines. The Philistines were enemies of Israel. In fact, they were their most formidable opponents because many of them were giants. Isaac realized that they were interrupting the water flow from his father’s well and set out to free himself from that interruption. How did they interrupt this flow? Often times wells were filled with dirt to make them inoperable.

You can’t miss that right there!!!! Have giants in your life interrupted your water flow? Our giants may look different. I’ll be transparent and tell you my giant: pride!!! I’d like to tell you that I’m like little David with his slingshot, but many times I’m like all of Israel when it comes to my giant. I turn, tuck tail, and run. Pride rises up and makes me say stuff that I later regret. Think about that for a minute. What’s your giant? Let me continue and show you what these giants do in our lives.

You ever felt surrounded by dirt? This is what the Philistines did the make the wells inoperable. One of the ploys of the enemy is to make you feel like you are worthless. He will pile it on too. You leave one storm and go right into another. Several unsuccessful relationships follow one another. You pass nine tests, but the tenth test gets you and he makes you feel like you failed them all. I’m here to tell you that the Devil is a Lie!!!!! Don’t let him take your minor victories by piling dirt on you that has been washed away by Christ Jesus. The Bible declares that “though your sins be scarlet (full of dirt) you will be made like snow”-Isaiah 1:18. Often times, the enemy has attempted to interrupt our water flow by continually bringing up dirt in our lives. Well sisters and brothers, grab ya shovels because I want to give you this revelation right quick.

1. You are a well!!!!

Did you know you were a water source? My God. You can’t miss that because it will give you a new perspective on what people draw out of you. What is being drawn out of you? Ohhhh weeee. Now that should have made you think. Jesus said it best: “and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”-John 7:38. As believers we are called to have rivers of living water flowing from us. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t literally leaking water. No, this is a spiritual principle. There is no literal expectation for you to be spewing water. The principle here is that life is to flow from your heart and mouth. Proverbs records that “the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” –Proverbs 10:11.

Think about your daily interactions with others. There is a world that is thirsty for God’s Word. What do they get when they come to draw from you? Is it rivers of living water? Can they consider your words to them a fountain of life? On the other hand, are your words “concealing violence” (filled with negativity)? This brings me to my next point.

2. God don’t do Aquafina!

I got a new term for some folks. I call them Aquafina saints. These are those who attempt to purify themselves over and over again, but their water comes from the same tap water source. Please don’t miss that people. James said it best: “but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.”-James 3:8-11. Aquafina folks praise God, but curse those who are made in His wonderful image. They believe that they can purify their actions by continually blessing God. Jesus addressed this when he talked about bringing a gift to the altar (see Matthew 5). He reminded us that we can’t be bringing praise/gifts to God and have something against a brother and sister. In fact, for that gift to be effective one must go to that brother or sister and be reconciled. Elsewhere, the Bible declares that we shouldn’t let “the sun go down on our wrath.”-Ephesians 4:26. In other words, don’t sleep on it. Voice your concerns and be reconciled with that friend or loved one. Now I ask you to think about this: do you have tap water praise? Tap water praise is that which comes from a tainted source. Is your praise tainted by anger against a brother or sister? If so, I encourage you to reconcile that relationship. Because God don’t do Aquafina!

Questions to Ponder

1. What is your giant? Have giants in your life interrupted your water flow?
2. Have you ever felt surrounded by dirt?
3. What do people get when they come to draw from you?
4. Are you an Aquafina saint? Do you need to reconcile any relationships?

Blessings,

Brother John

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