For a long time, I had begun to see my Lord Jesus in images of water – as a rushing river, speeding over all the river stones, teaming with life, sometimes carrying me along in the roaring flow – deep, cool, green and frothing with clear whitewash. 

I had also begun to see Him as a deep unfathomable ocean – vast, majestic, all-powerful and beyond me altogether. 

Likewise, I had seen the Lord as the cool springs, trickling along in shallow pools – gentle, refreshing and healing, from which I could paddle and drink, providing and refreshment and delight.

Then, one morning as I sat in silence with Him in the early dark hours, the Lord Jesus impressed upon me something of Himself that was entirely new to me. It came to me in the softest, gentlest way. I began to see the Lord Jesus as a well.

I imagined the women in the bible who often met thirsty, weary travellers at a well. In the Old Testament, we read of Rebekah meeting Isaac’s servant at the well where she gave him and his camels water to drink.

Jacob met Rachel at a well where she came to water the sheep. Zipporah met Moses at a well where she and her sisters drew water for their father’s flock.

In the book of John, we read the famous account of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Jesus spoke these extraordinary words to her; “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”…

Jesus is this well and we, the church, are like those women. He calls us to “go” to the well and then “draw” from it. We draw from the well by partaking of His life. 

The Lord Jesus, in all His wisdom and tenderness, was showing me the simple act of “going to” and “drawing from” the well is all He requires of us. Once we draw from the well, we have water to drink for ourselves and for others.

We don’t need to dig the well, and we don’t have to make the bucket, jars or ropes. There is no need to set up or manage a pulling system. We don’t have to advertise the well or make fancy tupperware to carry the water. Neither do we need to mix anything with the water to improve it or set up a stall for selling it. We are invited to “go” and “draw” from it. A simple act of intimate time with Him, and this is how we live out of the Lord’s indwelling life.

By drawing from His well, which is Him, we have water for the thirsty. We have drink for the weary stranger and something to offer to our Father’s flock. That something is Him.

Who will drink from it? Whoever is thirsty.