YOU NEVER MISS THE WATER TILL THE WELL RUNS DRY
America, the World, and the Urgent Call to Return to God
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” — 2 Chronicles 7:14
My mama used to say something that I heard many times growing up:
“You never miss the water till the well runs dry.”
As a child, I understood the words.
As I've gotten older, I've come to understand the wisdom behind them.
You don't always appreciate what you have while you have it.
Turn the faucet, and water comes out.
Go to the well, and there's water.
You expect it to be there tomorrow because it was there yesterday.
But let that well run dry.
Suddenly, something you barely thought about becomes the most important thing in the world.
And I cannot help but wonder:
Is that where we are spiritually?
Have America and much of our world enjoyed the blessings of God for so long that we've forgotten the God from whom those blessings came?
Have we enjoyed the water while neglecting the Well?
And will we only understand what we had after we have walked so far away from God that we suddenly find ourselves desperately thirsty?
WE HAVE TRADED OUR RICHES FOR RAGS
Our nation and much of the world are on opposite ends of the spectrum from where God desires us to be.
We have advanced technologically while declining morally.
We can communicate instantly across the planet, yet families struggle to communicate across the dinner table.
We have more information available at our fingertips than any generation before us, yet wisdom seems increasingly difficult to find.
We have accumulated possessions while losing contentment.
We have enlarged our houses while allowing our homes to fracture.
We have pursued influence while abandoning character.
We have celebrated independence from God as though it were progress.
We have traded spiritual riches for rags.
We wanted freedom without responsibility.
Blessing without obedience.
Prosperity without gratitude.
Morality without an absolute standard.
Christianity without a Cross.
Salvation without repentance.
Heaven without holiness.
And increasingly, a society without God.
Then we wonder why something feels terribly wrong.
WE DIDN'T LOSE GOD—WE WALKED AWAY
God has not changed.
“For I am the LORD, I change not...” — Malachi 3:6
The Gospel hasn't changed.
The Cross hasn't changed.
Sin hasn't changed.
Truth hasn't changed.
Jesus Christ hasn't changed.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8
We changed.
Little by little.
Generation by generation.
Compromise by compromise.
What once troubled our consciences became tolerated.
What became tolerated eventually became accepted.
What became accepted eventually became celebrated.
And what became celebrated eventually demanded affirmation.
Meanwhile, anyone still standing beside the old landmarks of biblical truth increasingly appears strange.
But changing public opinion doesn't change God's Word.
Truth doesn't become error because fewer people believe it.
And error doesn't become truth because millions agree with it.
WE HAVE INDEFINITELY DISCONNECTED OURSELVES FROM THE GOD OF GLORY
Think about the contradiction.
We want God's protection but reject His authority.
We want God's blessings but resist His commandments.
We want God during tragedy but often ignore Him during prosperity.
When disaster strikes, people ask:
“Where is God?”
But perhaps another question deserves consideration:
“Where was God when everything was going well?”
Was He invited into our homes?
Our marriages?
Our parenting?
Our schools?
Our businesses?
Our decisions?
Our entertainment?
Our churches?
Our daily lives?
Or did we essentially tell Him:
“We can handle it from here”?
There is something deeply dangerous about becoming so accustomed to God's blessings that we begin believing we produced them ourselves.
YOU NEVER MISS THE WATER TILL THE WELL RUNS DRY
There is Mama's saying again.
Think about it spiritually.
We don't appreciate peace until chaos arrives.
We don't appreciate freedom until it begins disappearing.
We don't appreciate family until the chair is empty.
We don't appreciate health until the doctor calls.
We don't appreciate truth until lies become commonplace.
We don't appreciate morality until immorality destroys something we love.
We don't appreciate prayer until there is nowhere else to turn.
We don't appreciate God's presence until we have spent years living as though we don't need Him.
You never miss the water till the well runs dry.
But there is good news.
The Well hasn't disappeared.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman:
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst...” — John 4:13–14
The answer to our spiritual drought isn't another human philosophy.
It isn't another political slogan.
It isn't another celebrity.
It isn't another technological breakthrough.
It isn't more money.
It isn't more entertainment.
We need Living Water.
We need Jesus Christ.
YES, THERE IS STILL A REMNANT
I thank God there is a remnant.
There always has been.
When Elijah believed he was virtually alone, God told him there were still thousands who had not bowed their knees to Baal.
See 1 Kings 19:18.
Throughout Scripture, when cultures wandered, kingdoms rebelled, and populations turned away, there remained people who said:
“We will still serve the Lord.”
There is still a remnant today.
People still praying.
People still preaching Jesus.
People still believing the Bible.
Parents still teaching their children Scripture.
Pastors still refusing to compromise truth.
Missionaries still going.
Believers still giving.
Christians still witnessing.
Churches still preaching repentance, salvation, holiness, the Cross, the Blood, the Resurrection, and the soon return of Jesus Christ.
Thank God for the remnant.
But we should never become comfortable merely being the remnant.
Our responsibility is to reach those outside it.
THE NUMBER SHOULD TROUBLE US
When fewer people seem interested in God, our response cannot simply be:
“Well, at least I'm saved.”
No!
Someone's child is walking away.
Someone's grandchild has never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel.
Someone's coworker thinks Christianity is irrelevant.
Someone's neighbor believes God doesn't exist.
Someone is dying tonight who isn't ready to meet God.
Someone is sitting in a church building but has never truly surrendered their life to Jesus Christ.
That should trouble us.
The Great Commission has not been canceled because society has changed.
Jesus still said:
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” — Mark 16:15
The darker the night becomes, the brighter the light should shine.
BUT 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 DOESN'T BEGIN WITH THE WORLD
Here is where we must be careful.
It is easy for Christians to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 while pointing across the street.
At Washington.
At politicians.
At Hollywood.
At universities.
At corporations.
At unbelievers.
At another generation.
At another denomination.
At somebody else.
But look again at the opening words:
“IF MY PEOPLE...”
God begins with His people.
Before we demand repentance from the world, perhaps repentance needs to begin in the church.
Before we ask what's wrong with America, perhaps we should ask what's wrong in our own hearts.
Before we point toward somebody else's sin, perhaps we need to invite the Holy Spirit to search ours.
David prayed:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23
Revival doesn't begin with:
“Lord, fix them.”
Revival begins with:
“LORD, SEARCH ME.”
FOUR THINGS GOD TELLS HIS PEOPLE TO DO
Second Chronicles 7:14 gives us a pattern.
Not a slogan.
Not a bumper sticker.
Not merely a verse to post during an election year.
A pattern.
1. HUMBLE OURSELVES
“If my people... shall humble themselves...”
Pride says:
“I don't need God.”
Humility says:
“Without Him, I can do nothing.”
Pride justifies itself.
Humility repents.
Pride points fingers.
Humility examines the heart.
Pride says:
“Look what I built.”
Humility says:
“Lord, everything I have came from You.”
America doesn't need more arrogance.
The world doesn't need more arrogance.
And the church certainly doesn't need more arrogance.
We need humility.
2. PRAY
“...and pray...”
Not talk about prayer.
Not post about prayer.
Not complain about everything that's wrong.
Pray.
Pray for our families.
Pray for our children.
Pray for our grandchildren.
Pray for our churches.
Pray for pastors.
Pray for missionaries.
Pray for teachers.
Pray for government leaders.
Pray for the lost.
Pray for our enemies.
Pray for the hurting.
Pray for America.
Pray for the Philippines.
Pray for Asia.
Pray for Israel and the Middle East.
Pray for nations at war.
Pray for revival.
Pray for repentance.
Church, it is time to pray.
3. SEEK HIS FACE
“...and seek my face...”
There is a difference between seeking God's hand and seeking God's face.
Sometimes we primarily seek His hand:
“Lord, give me this.”
“Lord, fix that.”
“Lord, provide.”
“Lord, heal.”
“Lord, open this door.”
There is nothing wrong with bringing our needs to God.
Jesus taught us to ask.
But there comes a deeper place where our prayer becomes:
“Lord, I want YOU.”
Not merely what You can give me.
Not merely what You can fix.
Not merely what You can provide.
I want You.
That is the hunger revival requires.
4. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS
Here is the part people often prefer to skip.
“...and turn from their wicked ways...”
That's repentance.
Real repentance doesn't merely say:
“I'm sorry.”
Repentance turns.
It changes direction.
If I'm walking away from God, repentance means turning around and walking toward Him.
We cannot continually ask God to heal what we insist on poisoning.
We cannot celebrate what God calls sin and simultaneously ask Him to bless it.
We cannot demand revival while refusing repentance.
Something has to turn.
And according to this verse, God says:
My people must turn.
THEN GOD SAYS, “I WILL...”
Look at the progression.
We humble ourselves.
We pray.
We seek His face.
We turn from wickedness.
Then God says:
“...then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Hear.
Forgive.
Heal.
Isn't that what we need?
We need Heaven to hear.
We need forgiveness.
And our land desperately needs healing.
OUR PROBLEM IS DEEPER THAN POLITICS
Political decisions matter.
Leadership matters.
Laws matter.
Elections matter.
Public policy matters.
But the deepest crisis confronting humanity cannot be solved at a ballot box.
The human heart needs God.
You can change administrations without changing hearts.
You can change laws without changing hearts.
You can improve economies without changing hearts.
You can build institutions without changing hearts.
And if the heart remains separated from God, eventually the same problems return wearing different clothes.
America's greatest need isn't ultimately a political revival.
It is a spiritual awakening.
And the world's greatest need remains the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WELL RUNS DRY?
Perhaps we're already discovering the answer.
When reverence disappears, confusion grows.
When truth becomes negotiable, everyone begins constructing their own version of reality.
When families collapse, society feels the consequences.
When children grow up without spiritual foundations, another generation inherits the emptiness.
When churches become entertainment centers instead of houses of prayer, spiritual thirst remains untreated.
When prosperity becomes our god, we discover money cannot heal the soul.
When pleasure becomes our purpose, we discover another experience still leaves us empty.
Eventually, thirsty people start looking for water.
And perhaps that is where hope enters the picture.
THE WELL IS NOT DRY
Let me make something very clear.
God hasn't run out of mercy.
God hasn't run out of grace.
God hasn't run out of forgiveness.
God hasn't lost His power.
The Blood of Jesus hasn't lost its power.
The Gospel hasn't lost its power.
The Holy Spirit hasn't lost His power.
The Word of God hasn't lost its power.
The Well is not dry.
We've simply wandered away from it.
Isaiah said:
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” — Isaiah 55:6
There is still water.
There is still grace.
There is still forgiveness.
There is still hope.
There is still Jesus.
AMERICA, COME BACK TO THE WELL
America, come back to prayer.
Come back to Scripture.
Come back to repentance.
Come back to humility.
Come back to righteousness.
Come back to family worship.
Come back to teaching children about Jesus.
Come back to churches where the Gospel is preached without apology.
Come back to the Cross.
Come back to the Blood.
Come back to holiness.
Come back to the God who blessed us.
Come back to the Well.
And to every other nation reading these words:
The invitation is yours too.
This isn't merely America's problem.
This is humanity's problem.
Sin separates people from God.
Jesus Christ reconciles us to Him.
CHURCH, WE MUST GO FIRST
We cannot stand on the shoreline shouting instructions to drowning people while refusing to enter the water.
We must demonstrate repentance.
We must demonstrate prayer.
We must demonstrate holiness.
We must demonstrate compassion.
We must demonstrate forgiveness.
We must demonstrate love.
We must demonstrate what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
And then we must take the Gospel beyond our walls.
The remnant cannot hide.
The remnant must shine.
ONE MORE SOUL
This is why Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International continues to emphasize:
ONE MORE SOUL.
Because national revival eventually becomes personal.
You reach nations by reaching people.
One mother.
One father.
One teenager.
One child.
One family.
One community.
One village.
One person hearing the Gospel.
One person repenting.
One person discovering Jesus.
One person saying:
“I want to come home to God.”
Then another.
And another.
And another.
YOU NEVER MISS THE WATER TILL THE WELL RUNS DRY
Mama was right.
We often don't understand the value of something until it's gone.
But spiritually, there is something even more important to remember:
We don't have to wait until everything is gone before we return.
We can turn now.
We can pray now.
We can repent now.
We can seek God now.
We can rebuild our homes now.
We can teach our children now.
We can preach Jesus now.
We can reach our neighbors now.
We can support missions now.
We can forgive now.
We can humble ourselves now.
We can come back to the Well now.
A PRAYER FOR AMERICA AND THE NATIONS
Heavenly Father,
We come before You humbly today.
Not pointing our fingers at everyone else.
Not pretending that we are innocent.
Not excusing our failures.
Lord, search us.
Search our hearts.
Search our homes.
Search our churches.
Search our ministries.
Show us where we have wandered.
Show us where compromise entered.
Show us where pride replaced humility.
Show us where entertainment replaced prayer.
Show us where possessions became more important than Your presence.
Show us where we have sought Your blessings more than we have sought You.
Forgive us, Lord.
Forgive our nation.
Forgive the nations.
Forgive Your Church where we have failed to be salt and light.
Teach us to humble ourselves.
Teach us to pray again.
Teach us to seek Your face.
Give us courage to turn from everything that displeases You.
Father, heal our families.
Heal our churches.
Heal communities.
Protect our children.
Strengthen marriages.
Restore fathers.
Restore mothers.
Call prodigals home.
Awaken pastors.
Strengthen missionaries.
Raise up intercessors.
Send revival.
And, Lord, let revival begin in us.
May the Gospel of Jesus Christ travel across neighborhoods, cities, states, islands, nations, and continents.
Let someone hear about Jesus today.
Let someone repent today.
Let someone be saved today.
Let someone return to You today.
And if You choose to use us—
Here we are, Lord.
Send us.
Use us.
Help us reach one more soul.
In the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
THE WELL STILL HAS WATER
America, the answer isn't found in wandering farther away.
The nations don't need less God.
We need Him more than ever.
The invitation remains open.
Jesus still saves.
Jesus still forgives.
Jesus still restores.
Jesus still changes lives.
Jesus is still calling.
And the Living Water is still flowing.
So before we discover just how thirsty a civilization can become—
LET'S COME BACK TO THE WELL.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways...” — 2 Chronicles 7:14
Mama used to say:
“You never miss the water till the well runs dry.”
May God give us enough wisdom to return to the Well before we learn that lesson the hardest possible way.
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International
Your Feet to the Nations
We are your eyes, ears, mouths, and feet in Asia.
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