The Second Well.
THE WELL I am going to tell you of today, had none of the excitement, and even romance about it, which were connected with that wonderful well in the New Hebrides, the digging of which was the means under God, of bringing so many ignorant heathen to the knowledge of the love of Jesus. No; this was an ordinary common place well, in an ordinary common place farm yard in our own country. It had been a useful well too, as all wells should be, the water for use in the house, and also that needed for the horses and cattle had been drawn from it for many a day; but now there was something wrong, the well was as deep as ever; the windlass and pails were in their accustomed place; the little stone wall around it was in perfect order, and yet for weeks past no one had attempted to use it; can you guess the reason? Why yes! it is easy to see there could be no water in it, and of what use is a well without any water.
Is it not so with a Christian? The Lord Jesus has told us that if we believe in Him, there shall be in us “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14).) But some who profess to have Jesus for their Saviour, though, like the old well I am telling you of, they seem all right outwardly, know very little of the springing up within them of that living water, so freely given by Jesus, and of what use can they be to others? The boys on the farm, where our old well stood, were compelled to haul water in barrels from another well, about a half a mile away. This was very hard work, especially when they had to provide not only for household needs, but for the stock as well.
Now these boys had no mother but were looked after and cared for by an old servant who had lived in their family for a great many years. She was an ignorant woman as the world counts, but one of God’s dear children, and a woman of great faith, and given to much earnest prayer.
One evening, Ann, as she was called, was sitting in the kitchen with the boys around her, telling them some of the remarkable ways in which her heavenly Father had answered her prayers. When she concluded, Henry said:
“Ann, why don’t you ask your Father in heaven to send water to our well? It has been dry two months, and when I looked at it today, it was still as hard and dry as this floor.”
Perhaps the boy hardly meant what he said, but Ann began at once to think over the matter. When she retired to her little room that night, she knelt in prayer, and told the Lord all about it: “How can I say to the boys, ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory,’ if there is no water in the well? They will not believe me.” So this poor woman prayed on, pleading with her Father, in whose unbounded love she trusted, to send water, and convince the boys that He could and would answer prayer.
When she came down next morning, Henry was out, preparing to go for water as usual. To his great surprise, Ann took up two pails, and at once started for their own well. He watched her from the window, as she hooked the pail to the windlass and began to lower it. If she had done this the night before, it would have gone with a bang to the bottom, but now, there was a splash, and Ann began to wind up the windlass again, and at last put the pail upon the well-stand full of water. Presently, with both pails full, she walked back to the house. What effect this wonderful answer to prayer had upon Henry, I cannot tell you, but that the whole story is perfectly true, many neighbors around can bear witness, and never since that day has the well lacked water.
Now, cannot we learn from this true story to trust more in our God and Father? It may not always be His good pleasure to answer us in the way He answered Ann, but He has told us to come to Him with everything, not only the big things, but the very little ones, His ear is never weary of listening to us. His heart is always full of compassion. His love never fails. Do not be afraid, come to Him with all your needs, whatever they may be, and just leave them all with Him, and if He does not see that it is best to give you just what you are asking for, He will give you what is quite as good, His own peace to fill your heart, so that the worry and trouble are gone, and you can rest in His arms as a little child rests in the strong arms of its father. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-76Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6‑7).)
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.
O, what peace we often forfeit,
O, what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
ML 09/15/1912