When I was a young man, just out of high school, I worked for a water well drilling company. It was hard work and the pay wasn't that great but it was a good experience for me. I learned how to work hard, the value of a dollar and had my first taste of an encouraging but challenging leader. It was also that time of my life that I met Jesus and my wife to be. So, all in all, it was a memorable time of life. While I don't want to delve into wells too much, I was praying the other day and God reminded me about wells. What you're drilling for is porous rock, gravel or sand. The idea of an underground lake is a bit of a misnomer, water runs through soil with 'space' in it. Pour a cup of water on the concrete sidewalk outside your house and the water will sit or run toward a low spot. Pour it on sand or gravel, and it 'disappears'.(it actually just runs into the spaces) Anyway, when we found a potential water source, we had to pump the well and test it to see if it was just a 'pocket' of water or if it was connected to a renewable source. The pump we used was much more aggressive than the regular pump the well owner would eventually use. In fact, we could pump a six inch well to it's maximum capacity! So we would pump to see if the water kept coming and then stop and record how fast the water level 'recovered'. Fast recovery, good well. When the well settled, it was called 'static level'. High static good, low static bad.(Please... stay with me!) God showed me how this related to revival. When the power of God is moving in a church, a service, or for a season, it's like that well being pumped at maximum capacity. People reach heights they've never reached before, gain freedom they've never had before and walk in anointing they've never walked before. But when the 'pump' is shut down they return to their 'static level'. Their normal, if you would. Just as in water wells, normal is dependent on the source. Jesus said in Matthew 13, verse 20, "The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." Take advantage of the 'outpourings' of God, let Him transform you. But ask yourself, "what is my source?". If Jesus is your source, when revival fades for a season, you will recover just fine! You will be a source of living water, ready to be drawn from all day long; and when revival comes again, God will find you ready to pour out to the maximum again. Where is your static level?
