Proverbs 5:15 drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well

There are places and times in life where water is truly wonderful. In Central America for instance, when we are out in remote areas we really value water.

I still remember my first mission trip in 1990 to the remote areas of Colon, I can shut my eyes and I am there.

We have just walked a dirt road for most of the day through mud and rocks while being open to the full heat of the sun for hours, only occasionally gaining shade from the thinned out forest, and now have come down a short steep embankment to a tiny orange-yellow adobe mud house sat on a knoll by itself. The lady of the house comes out to greet us and brings with her a pitcher of water and a few glasses for us. By

My glass was plastic and a pale shade of red, the water was warm and to the brim and as I held it up I could see thousands of little particles in the water, revealed by the sunlight.

We said a prayer and drank to the bottom of the glass with grateful hearts.

So many times over the years that followed I would find myself in places where I became really grateful as I thought of the water in my house, that when I was at home I could just go to the tap and instantly have cool, clean, and refreshing water. Something that is not available to most of this worlds’ population.

I don’t want to take for granted the blessings that God has placed in my life, and I certainly don’t want to take any water from the wrong places.

KNOWLEDGE

Wisdom from God’s viewpoint has its roots deep and spreads fully into ethical and moral purity. The “right thing”, is always the “right thing”, even when it’s really hard to do, and when it puts us at a disadvantage. In fact, the real test of our character is only passed when we face these situations and still choose to do the “right thing”.

What’s the thing in your life right now that you remember and keep pushing away? Is it to get that lump checked out, or to actually do your zero-sum budget, or maybe to call that person you hurt? Do you live in the land of intentions – you judge yourself by your intentions and others by their actions?

This scripture has wisdom in several levels, it’s as though you are digging your own well as you read this, and as you pass through the various layers of earth and rock, you gain insights and understanding.

In bible times it would be a real affront to take your flocks to another’s well without their permission – it could set off a blood feud between families. In its simplest form here we are being advised to recognise others hard work, others blessings, and others routes to prosperity and not to take unfair advantage of any of this. On a deeper level, it is talking about being faithful to your wife/husband, staying true, and not looking for satisfaction or adventure with other women or men. On a deeper level again, there is the shadow of the gospel, staying true and faithful to God, the church (bride) and Jesus (groom) is a faithful relationship.

One Bride, One Bridegroom; One Church, One Calling – And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. John 6:39 [NIV]

UNDERSTANDING

Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?

The word for “cistern” in Hebrew is pronounced “bar” and appears 65 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV it is translated into the English words, pit; dungeon; cistern; well; and death [Prov 28:17]. Here in verse fifteen, we catch onto the idea of going to your own source and not taking what is not yours, the allusion is to do with adultery as we see in a few verses time.

WISDOM – where do you find your greatest satisfaction?

STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Relator uses trust to go deeper, seeks out time with the right people, demonstrates compassion and care consistently, and encourages and builds up others.

Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [drink water from the rock, from the fountain stream that gushes for you, from your own water shaft.]

PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to guard my heart and stay grateful for all you have given me today. Thank you!

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