And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. Gen 26:20

The people who are well known and well-remembered are those who had time in the spotlight. They may be for their achievements, acts of bravery, impact and contributions to society, or testimony that continues to inspire. Today, those who claim the spotlight are athletes, actors, entertainers, social media gurus, government leaders, and even world villains claim their time in the spotlight. Yet there those who greatly impacted lives for meaning and success but go unnoticed and are soon forgotten. Weaved into all our lives are teachers, care-givers, service workers, and so many others who impact our lives for a moment, often in the most simplest way, and go unnoticed as their work is overshadowed by others. In our scripture passage we see a man for which little is known, who lived in the shadows of two great patriarchs of faith. Isaac was the son promised to Abraham and Sarah, who were beyond years of childbearing. In childhood, he followed his father to the altar as the sacrifice to God. The spotlight soon fades from his hall of faith and to his commonplace of diggings well. We might wonder that he should be classed with Abraham, the father of all who believe or his son Jacob, who prevailed with the Angel and became a Prince. He was passive, quiet, given to thoughtful meditation (Gen 24:63). God’s purpose includes all sorts and types of men, and Isaac dug wells of which men drank for thousands of years. He was constantly pursued by enmity, jealousy, and strife, as the names of his wells attest. But each time he consistently retired from the conflict and yielded his well to dig another. Finally, his enemies had to confess that he was mightier than they (Gen 26:16). Best of all, God appeared to him “the same night,” and promised that He would be with Him and bless him. My friend, let us learn to channel our resistance to evil, and lift our eyes from the physical to that which is moral and spiritual. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty” (Prov 16:32). Go on digging wells—the wells of Family Prayer, of love for the Bible, of holy exercises and habits! You will find spring water (Gen 26:19). That is God’s side of your life. You are called to dig wells, but God’s Holy Spirit will rise up in your soul, and in the souls of others, like “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). Let us present to Him ourselves—our souls and bodies, to be the wells and channels, along and through which His eternal God-Head and Power, arising from the fathomless depths of His own nature, may reach this thirsty and parched world! Father, thank You for Your love that is Self-Giving and Eternally Faithful. Lead us through the shadows to become well-diggers for Christ, that His love and goodness will outflow to others for everlasting life. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.