Genesis 20:26 “He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
Rehoboth Mission. That’s the name of my childhood church in Southern Ohio. Grandpa always told me it meant “room for all.” The small band of dedicated believers who started the church faced opposition in the community. They were a shoutin’ church and their display of passion made some folks uncomfortable. But they knew God had called them so they worked, prayed and believed until the foundation was laid and Rehoboth Mission became a reality—a place that welcomed all who thirsted for God.
The name referenced the biblical account of Isaac’s search for water in the desert. Every time Isaac’s tribe dug a new well the locals argued the water belonged to them; Isaac had no right to it. So his tribe moved to another spot, then another, until he landed at a place where no one bickered over water rights. He called the well Rehoboth proclaiming it to be a place with enough water for everyone, room for all to flourish.
When I’m not flourishing, when I’m coming up dry, I know it’s time to start digging. Not necessarily another well, like Isaac or the patriarchs of Rehoboth Mission, just a deeper one. I have to silence the voices arguing in my mind—voices trying to convince me the world’s water rights to my withering soul are stronger than God’s.
God….
The One who tells me he is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made (Psalm 145:13). Who says the mountains and hills might be completely removed, but his unfailing love for me will never be shaken (Isaiah 54:10). The One who remains close to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). When I dig deeper into the unchanging character of God, praise begins to flow. Praise that carries me to the underground waters of trust.
Without trust, our relationship with God remains shallow. But the very circumstances that deplete us can drive us to the source that replenishes us.
How’s your well these days? Feel like you’re coming up dry? You don’t have to. There is room for all at God’s well. Even you. Even me. So dig deeper. Drink heartily….