The Well

by: Staci Stallings

Last time I had you listen to a song by Casting Crowns called The Well.  (You can go here to listen to it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLxdxw4Gj6g )

I hope you listened several times.  I know I have.

There are many truths woven into this beautiful song, but I want to take a moment today to elaborate on the wisdom of one word:  Come.

In the first video I watched of the song, there was one incarnation of this word that was misspelled.  However, I probably would have misspelled it as well if I would just have been transcribing based on the way you would think it would be said, rather than the profound truth of how they chose to say it.

This time happens toward the end when they sing about after you have come to the well and others begin to see the living water flowing in your life.  It says, “Soon all the world will see, living water is found in Me, ’cause you come to the well.”

In the first video, the lyric was “’cause you came to the well.”  That’s how I would have written it, but that’s not right.  See, we think, okay, you’re empty and broken, and you go to the well, and God fixes you.  Period. End of story.  You CAME to the well, and now you’re healed and can go on with life.  Ah, but that’s not what the actual lyric says!

In the video I gave you here, it says, “cause you’ve come to the well.”  And honestly that might be what the actual lyric says.  However, I think that too is a fundamental misinterpretation of the true lesson here.  “You’ve…”  you have… again past tense.

But that’s NOT what God wants.  And from deep personal experience, that’s not the way it works!

God truly working in you is not a one-and-done thing.  You don’t go to the well and get healed and you’re done.

Life will continually throw things at you–new challenges, new issues, new incarnations of old hurts.  And you have to KEEP going to the well.  Yes, your salvation is worked out in the first trip if you accept what Jesus is holding out to you, but your LIFE must be going back to the well.

I know for me, I can be going along great and then BAM!  I’m thrown off-track.  Maybe it’s an illness or a serious challenge, maybe it’s something with my kids, my friends or my husband.  And once again, I’m empty and scared.  I don’t know which way to go, where I’m going or how to get there.

The secret I’ve found is in going back to The Well–The Answer… Jesus.

I didn’t go to the well once.  I go every day, often multiple times each day.

I don’t shine because I came to the well once.  I shine because I COME to the well often.  I recognize my need for The Well.  I recognize how often I have asked the world to fill that need, and how poorly it has done.  We will talk about some of those things pointed out so beautifully in the song next time.  For now, know that you can go to the well any time you need, and Jesus will always be right there to let you simply rest for a moment in His arms.  Ahhh!

 

 

Come

by: Staci Stallings

I’ve found a song you just HAVE to hear.  I want you to go and listen (several times if need be).  We will be discussing this song and another over the next couple of weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLxdxw4Gj6g

 

For now, just watch.  Listen.  THIS is what I’ve been trying to tell you.

Next time, we’ll talk.

*~*

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Being in God’s Hands

By:  Staci Stallings

Every year at Vacation Bible School time I get a crash course in what it’s like to live in God’s Hands.  Not that I don’t live that way the rest of the year, but there are just certain realities that become very stark during VBS.

Reality #1:  I am NOT in control.  That’s a tough one for me.  It’s really hard to let go and realize that God’s got it… whether I see how it will work or not.

Reality #2:  I can’t control everyone else.  They are in God’s Hands as well.  I can breathe and help and be there, but no matter how much I might want to, I can’t do their lines for them.  THEY have to.  I can’t “act” for them.  They have to.  And I have to have enough faith to let them.

REALITY #3:  God’s way works.  Every.  Single. Time.  Now sometimes in the midst of life it’s hard to see just HOW He’s getting things to work out, but they always do.  You can rest in that assurance.

Like I said, it never fails the lessons I learn about God during VBS.  Last night as I lay in bed, the sets and lights and music and actors and lines spinning through my head, I kept telling myself, “God’s got this.  God’s got this.  It’s HIS play.  He’ll do it.  Let it go.  Trust Him.”  But the doubts and fears and worries kept swirling.  What if… When that happens, we need to… Oh, how are we ever going to…

I’m not sure how much of that was Satan whipping up the wind and waves around me and how much was me looking at them.  But each time, I kept telling myself, “God’s in control.  God can handle it. Let it go.  Trust Him.”  Finally after what seemed like an eternity of this back and forth, faith vs. fear battle, I said, “You know, sometimes it’s scary how much my faith resembles doubt!”  I kind of then laughed about it because here’s the truth… faith is not easy when you’re doing something Satan wants to stop you from doing.  And let me tell you, that mustard seed worth sure doesn’t feel like much.

But it is.  Oh, it is!

In fact, I’d like to show you what that little, mustard seed of faith that I clung to last night looked like today.  This is what being in God’s Hands looks like because this wasn’t me.  This was HIM!

We hope you are blessed by the following video.  It was taken during the second half of today’s VBS play.  The actors are all teenagers (we are all in very good hands with these kids.  Don’t ever let ANYONE tell you otherwise!  They are absolutely AWESOME!).  The song is “Glorious Day” by Casting Crowns.  The performance was stage-directed by my awesome daughter who is 12 and filmed by my other daughter who is 15 (again, we’re in VERY good hands!).  This is what resting in God’s hands in the midst of the storm looks like:

[After you watch:  Please note the “storm” that happens behind Jesus at the mention of hell and Satan was not in the script.  That was totally 100% God!  Also, note that this was performed in front of 26 kindergarten students who were as in awe as I was as I’m not sure you even hear them breathe once the door to the room closes.)

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be blessed by it.  And remember to tell them:  God is amazing!