09
Don't Stay In The Well
Jon Burgess17Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.18But a boy spotted them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it. So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard.19The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there. 2 Samuel 17:17-19
This chapter has all the intrigue, suspense, and double crosses of a great cloak and dagger spy novel. I pictured myself hiding in that well under the cloth as Absalom's soldiers searched the village. The scripture doesn't tell us how long it took before the soldiers finally gave up and left but I can imagine it felt like an eternity to Jonathan and Ahimaaz. The pounding of their hearts was so loud they thought for sure it would give their hiding spot away. The utter urgency of their message only added to their stress. If they didn't get the message to King David and his men to move across the Jordan during the night they would surely be ambushed by Absalom and his army by morning. As soon as the soldiers left they got out of the well and ran as fast as their legs would carry them. They risked their lives to save the lives of King David and his army. They could have stayed in the well. They could have stayed hidden and safe and lived long lives. Yet, they had a message that had to be shared. A message that couldn't wait. Lives depended upon this message so they risked everything to save the lives of others. Isn't that what all Christians are all called to do?
My life has been profoundly impacted by the faith of the New Hope churches in Japan. In a country where only 1% profess to be Christian they readily risk jobs, relationships, and reputation to share their message of Jesus Christ with those around them. It would be easy to keep it quiet and stay safe and hide in the well. The Christians I met in Japan may be the minority but they live like they are the majority. They have an urgency in their hearts that I feel I have lacked. They know that time is short and the message God has entrusted to them must be shared no matter the cost. As I was meditating on this I just felt the Holy Spirit whisper "don't stay in the well". The well represents our safe and secure hiding place. This is good for certain times as it was for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but if we're not intentional, we will stay there. Our well can be our church, our Christian friends and religious gatherings. These are all good but we cannot stay only there or the message will not get out to those who need it most. Like King David there are many in our lives who are "weary and discouraged" (vs 2) and are vulnerable to an attack from the enemy of their souls who seeks to destroy them. We must face our fears and risk rejection to share the message of hope and direction through Jesus Christ. Lives are literally depending upon our willingness to leave the well of our comforts and reach out with Christ. Who is it in our lives that we need to reach out to right now?
Lord, place upon our hearts the urgency of this task before us. Awaken us from our slumber and stir us to action on behalf of those who are weary and discouraged around us. I pray that the compassion for the hurting and the passion for the lost would move us out of our comforts to take up Your cross! Let us notice those around us that You came for! We are stepping out of the well and in to Your will to share the message that changed us for eternity!
