The Will THE WELL HAS BEEN DUG
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:37.
Ed didn't feel very well. His mouth was dry, his lips were cracked, and he was so dizzy that he often fell down. And whenever that happened, he really got discouraged.
One day he decided to go to the doctor. Surely he didn't have to be like this the rest of his life. After the doctor had listened to his symptoms, he nodded his head. "Ed, your problem is that you are thirsty! It's a common enough problem." Ed felt relieved. "What should I do?" he asked.
The doctor leaned back in his chair. "First you should decide what bothers you the most. Is it the dry mouth, the cracked lips, or what? Let's say, for example, that your cracked lips bother you the most. Work on them until they are healed up. Then go to work on something else. Use your willpower. That's the key."
Ed went home, but after several days of saying, "I choose not to have cracked lips," he was in worse shape than ever. He tried another doctor. The second doctor was sympathetic when he heard Ed's story. "I can't imagine why the other doctor didn't tell you!" he exclaimed. "What you need when you are thirsty is water!"
"Water?" asked Ed faintly. "That does sound good. Where can I get some?"
"It comes from a well," replied the physician.
Ed hurried odd--and began trying to dig a well. In a short time he collapsed. It was apparent that he would die before he could dig deep enough. But then he heard the good news. There was a well already dug. All he had to do was to go to the owner of the well, and he would be given all the water he needed. Ed went to the well and accepted the free gift. Now he's jogging around the countryside telling everyone the good news.
How many of us in our Christian life have spent fruitless time trying to overcome the symptoms of sin, and trying to gain for ourselves the water of life. When we understand that the proper use of our will is to come to Christ, who issued the invitation, "Let him that is athrist come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," we will find the victory that we sought in vain in our own strength. We don't need to dig the well--it has already been dug. All we need to do is to come and to accept the riches of His grace.
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:37.
Ed didn't feel very well. His mouth was dry, his lips were cracked, and he was so dizzy that he often fell down. And whenever that happened, he really got discouraged.
One day he decided to go to the doctor. Surely he didn't have to be like this the rest of his life. After the doctor had listened to his symptoms, he nodded his head. "Ed, your problem is that you are thirsty! It's a common enough problem." Ed felt relieved. "What should I do?" he asked.
The doctor leaned back in his chair. "First you should decide what bothers you the most. Is it the dry mouth, the cracked lips, or what? Let's say, for example, that your cracked lips bother you the most. Work on them until they are healed up. Then go to work on something else. Use your willpower. That's the key."
Ed went home, but after several days of saying, "I choose not to have cracked lips," he was in worse shape than ever. He tried another doctor. The second doctor was sympathetic when he heard Ed's story. "I can't imagine why the other doctor didn't tell you!" he exclaimed. "What you need when you are thirsty is water!"
"Water?" asked Ed faintly. "That does sound good. Where can I get some?"
"It comes from a well," replied the physician.
Ed hurried odd--and began trying to dig a well. In a short time he collapsed. It was apparent that he would die before he could dig deep enough. But then he heard the good news. There was a well already dug. All he had to do was to go to the owner of the well, and he would be given all the water he needed. Ed went to the well and accepted the free gift. Now he's jogging around the countryside telling everyone the good news.
How many of us in our Christian life have spent fruitless time trying to overcome the symptoms of sin, and trying to gain for ourselves the water of life. When we understand that the proper use of our will is to come to Christ, who issued the invitation, "Let him that is athrist come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," we will find the victory that we sought in vain in our own strength. We don't need to dig the well--it has already been dug. All we need to do is to come and to accept the riches of His grace.
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