This was my Twin Falls, Times News column from this past weekend published in the Saturday edition.
by Paul Thompson
The Wells Are Plugged Up
No one living in southern Idaho can underestimate the value of water.
I collect rain water off half my garage to water my garden. This is effective as long as the clouds rain rain. What happens when the clouds rain no rain?
Anyone who lives in a desert region knows that at some point the rain will likely stop. When this happens, usually around July, the thriving community will need a good source of water. If no consideration has been made in the cool days of rain, no life will survive the blistering heat of the scorching sun when there is no rain.
A student of history knows that there have been many historic battles fought over water rights. We even see this in that ancient holy book, the Bible.
In Genesis 26, the reader learns that after Abraham died, the Philistines came along and plugged up all of Abraham’s wells. The Philistines filled the wells to pollute, clog, and render them useless for the descendants of Abraham. Their hatred for God and His people was so high that they were willing to murder them by shutting off the water, that supply all of society needs to thrive. Without it, the people can’t live. That was their aim, ending the life of Abraham’s family. They obviously didn’t want the water, they wanted the people to suffer and ultimately die.
Today, we tell ourselves we live in a much more “civilized”, “enlightened” day. We don’t intentionally contaminate other people’s water. No one is going to shut the water supply off because of one’s religion, no one is going to clog up the well of the farmer just because he’s a God fearer.
However, there are God fearing people in the land and there is a growing hatred of them. If one looks at the issue of life, it is evident that hatred of image-of-God-bearing babies in the womb is growing. This continues to dominate attention in our day.
Forget about what New York State has done, never mind the cruelty of Virginia, don’t focus solely on what the governor of New Mexico has vowed to do. Look right here. Look in the county and city of Twin Falls. Open your eyes to what victory the war campaign of death has made in our own land of Idaho.
There is a bill sitting on the desk of Rep. Steven Harris, the chairman of the State Affairs Committee, that would make abortion (murder of babies in the womb) illegal in Idaho. I sat in his office this week to appeal to his conscience to open the gate to let this bill in for committee work. When I asked him if he would print the bill, he said “no, I will not”. If you remember your School House Rock, you’ll remember this is where a bill gets worked on, fine tuned, and adjusted; or the bill dies in that committee altogether. The “Idaho Abortion Human Rights Act” remains on the desk of the committee chairman because he apparently fears it will pass the house and the senate and would soon be ready for the governor’s signature..The enemy of God has a hatred of image-bearing-lives and he has convinced a chairman to sit on the bill that would otherwise let the babies live.
One thing the reader discovers as they read through Genesis 26 is that Isaac would eventually come along and dig out the wells. He would remove everything the Philistines had polluted the wells with, he would remove all the junk, all the dirt, all the garbage. While doing so, he would once again reclaim the splendor of the desert with life.
To the faithful, God fearing followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, as described by the Bible: Rise up today with your gospel shovel and let’s dig out the “wells” the Philistines have plugged up. Strap on your Gospel shoes and let’s get to work.
There is one organization, lead by an evil, God-hating agenda to plug up life in our city, county, state, and nation. May God mobilize His people- His church, and find them actively purifying the decades old plugged up wells.
Gather this Lord’s day with a people longing to hear a report about God from a living pulpit lit by the Word of God. Gather there and pray, gather there and prepare, gather there with your “Gospel shovels”, it’s work day at the church house.
consider visiting the Times News page: The Wells Are Plugged Up