Dwelling by the Well

By Paula Rae Wallace

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold, and the LORD blessed him there. - Genesis 26:12

This is a daily devotional guide for anyone who hungers and thirsts for a rich and exciting walk with Christ. What an incredible verse! Isaac was already wealthy beyond description. His father, Abraham, had given gifts to Issac's various half-brothers, and had made Isaac, "the Seed of Promise", his sole heir.

Then as Isaac obeyed and served God, God increased him a hundred-times over in one year! Then, since money isn't really everything, God blessed him in all other dimensions of life, as well.

Wow! Was this a one-time deal? Or is God really not a "respecter of persons"? Can anyone dwell in this dazzling Presence who seeks to do so? This devotional book is prayerfully intended to excite us about, and guide us into the unfathomable riches in Christ Jesus!

For more information, please visit http://www.templebc.org/pwallace "You may contact Paula by email at [e-mail]"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jun 2, 2006
• ISBN: 9781412217798

Paula Rae Wallace

With a love for writing, Paula Rae Wallace addresses today’s issues that challenge Christians: in the home, the church, places of business, and American society over all! Using gripping plots and captivating characters, Paula addresses day to day issues! Don’t miss any of her titles beginning with DAZZLING! As a pastor’s wife for over forty years, and as a Christian for even longer, Paula writes from experience on God’s miraculous faithfulness for those who ASK!

Book preview

Dwelling by the Well…

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

Genesis 26:12

A daily devotional guide

by

Paula Wallace

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©

Copyright 2003 Paula Wallace. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author. Front cover photograph courtesy of Ray Wing.

ISBN: 978-1-4120-1375-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4122-1779-8 (e)

www.trafford.com

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Contents

Foreword

Dedication

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Foreword

Where was the land where Isaac increased one hundredfold in one year? And where the Lord blessed him?

If we could put an X on a map, we could all try to crowd in there and battle each other for that coveted spot.

Think how incredidble that verse is! He increased one hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him!

Where did Isaac dwell? Can we dwell there too?

We not only can, we should! This land was watered by Beer-lahai-roi (The Well of Him Who Liveth and Seeth Me). Isaac was incredibly blessed because he dwelt in the Presence of Jesus. It is a land with plenty of room for everyone. Yet few really make a point of living here.

Most born again christians do not live here. We often cheat ourselves out of our inheritance as we refuse to obey and believe.

Do you want to increase one hundredfold? Do you want the Lord to bless you? Do you want to dwell in this land?

I am on the adventure, myself. It is beautiful and exciting! Please let this Well of Living Water sparkle up in your life, and let it refresh you and those you love; and those whose lives you touch.

There is a verse and a thought for each day that help us to see what is profitable and what is unprofitable. Profit is an accounting term, and we should all know what it means. Christians are not only allowed to profit and prosper, but we are instructed to do so. Then, we are gently shown the way to total, overall prosperity in every dimension of life!

If you want to dwell by The Well, I hope these thoughts help to highlight some of these glorious truths.

Every christian who really wants to know the Triune God should systematically read the entire Bible. If you have never done this, you can. Buy the Bible on cassette or CD’s. You will be delighted at the wonder! Read the New Testament first if you wish; then read the Old. They are both Authored by the same God and both are essential to reveal His wonderful Essence and Character. Simply decide to read four chapters per day. You do want to dwell in This Wonderful Place; don’t you?

Confess sins. Yes, I believe, Once saved, always saved. That is a wonderful doctrine—that Jesus would save us, and save us forever! However, daily confession is essential to dwelling consciously in the Presence of Jesus.

We become so bitter, jealous, nervous, worried, angry, competetive, sad, and bad! But we do not even have to confess most of this to people-just to the One Who lovingly forgives, restores joy, and tells no one else.

Confess daily-or oftener.

Die to yourself! What?

But do not stay dead! Ask the Holy Spirit to make you alive now in Him. This is where life (the new revived life) begins to become really exciting!

When we die to ourselves, to our own plans and dreams; a wonderful thing happens! He unfolds wonderful secrets to us about ourselves, about who we are in Him, and He gives us dreams and plans magnified through His Beauty that will take our breath away, dazzle our souls, and set our spirits free!

Ready? Let us soar off this year into a realm we have never known! Come, He invites. Dwell by the Well!

I love you all in Him!

Paula Wallace

Dedication

First, I would like to praise the Lord for my salvation. I thank Him for having placed me in a wonderful christian home.

I would like to thank my mom and dad for everything they have done for me; but more importantly. for what they have been for me!

Then I would like to lavish praise on my husband, Richard, the love of my life. God brought us together in the most wonderful way imagineable. He has been my love, my pastor, my friend, my confidante for nearly twenty-seven years. I am sure most of the thoughts presented here have basis in his faithful sermons or those of the guest speakers over the past twenty-six years at Temple Baptist Church in Flower Mound.

I want to thank my daughter and son and their wonderful spouses for filling our lives to the brim with their personalities, wit, and sense of fun. They have all brought us great joy!

Thank you, especially, to Gunner and Calin whose little lives have touched their grandma in such a profound way.

All of this beautiful family has brought me to the point of attempting to write this book.

I would also like to thank TRAFFORD on demand publishing for giving me courage and a method to, Go for it! I would like to thank Rebecca at Trafford for always being so courteous and helpful.

January

January 1

Genesis 26:12

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

In one year’s time, Isaac’s crops and possessions were increased one hundredfold. In addition to that, God blessed him with many other blessings.

January 2

Genesis 16: 13&14a

And she called the name of the LORD that spoke with her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I here looked after him that seeth me?

Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;

The name, Beer-lahai-roi, means, the well of Him that liveth and seeth me. God always watches over us and sees all of our predicaments and perils. He had seen the servant girl, Hagar, who was expecting the child of Abram, and had fled from the wrath of Sarai. Alone in the desert, Hagar had given up hope, when Jesus, Himself, appeared to help her.

He is always seeing us, but we need to ask the same question Hagar asked, Do I take note of Him? when He is always so tenderly near?

January 3

I Samuel 12:21

And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

We hurt ourselves when we allow ourselves to be sidetracked from putting Jesus first. All other pursuits should be secondary to Him and His kingdom. God wants us to profit. The way to do so is by allowing Him to show us the way.

Vain things are empty or pointless things. How easy it is to get caught up in everything which makes no eternal difference. We are enabled to have many lovely and treasured things in this life, but we are never to lose sight of eternity.

January 4

Proverbs 10:2

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Dishonestly earned money harms and brings death; while righteousness through Christ brings eternal life. We need salvation, and then we need to be honest and forthright in all of our dealings. That is the way for christians to profit.

January 5

Proverbs 11:4

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Only the righteousness of Jesus and His shed blood can turn away God’s wrath on our sins and establish us righteous in His presence. Riches in themselves, are not wrong. Often times, though, the wealthy are so able to buy their way out of trouble, that they become arrogant. They think they can connive their way into heaven. Sadly, some denominations support this thinking in order to fill their coffers. This is not Scriptural teaching, and thankfully, eternal life is available to Whosoever will!

January 6

John 3:36

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Everyone who has tusted Jesus as Savior is delivered from the wrath of God into His love and care. If you have never done this before, please do it now. Simply ask Jesus to be your Savior, and He will do so immediately. He is wonderful! We cannot dwell in Him until He saves us. At that moment, the Holy Spirit enters our lives, and begins to commune and fellowship with us. He longs to lead us into all wisdom and knowledge of Him and in Him.

January 7

Proverbs 14:23

In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty).

Neither ‘big-talk’ nor ‘small-talk’ are profitable, but working hard and intelligently on a job will bring reward. We often hear people who have big plans, and possibly very good ones, but who never go to work on them. Often good ideas fade because we do not put legs under them. Critical conversation about the company, the boss, or anyone else reduces our productivity. There is profit in the work we do to the best of our ability, and with a cheerful disposition.

January 8

Ecclesiastes 2:11 1

Then I looked on all the works my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

If we are exhausting ourselves in work that is not fulfilling and worthwhile, perhaps a change would be wise. It is so wonderful that we can go to the Wisest Counselor on earth, and He is eager and longing to show us the way. Often, we feel like pencil-pushers, or cooks, or we do other chores which are perpetual. We ofen feel we are making no progress, but faithfulness in the daily tasks is essential to the overall success of life. Oftentimes, our professions seem to have no direct bearing on the cause of Christ. We may ask ourselves if we should go into Full-time Christian Work. All of our work should be done to the best of our abilities for Christ’s sake, and we should always be testimonies for Him. Our tithes and offerings from secular jobs further the cause of Christ.

January 9

Ecclesiastes 1:3

What profit hath a man of all the labour which he taketh under the sun?

How worthwhile are our lives if we live only for ourselves? We need to ask what we can do to make an eternal difference. Surely our earthly lives can be rich, full, and exciting. We should be responsible for making them so. We do not have to spend every moment acting spiritual. God does not want us to be gloomy and dejected because we do not see that we are making a radical difference. He wants us to come to Him daily for power to be effective for Him. He wants us to profit from, and enjoy our labour. He desires for us to delight ourselves in Him, and in all the wonderful treasures we find in Him.

January 10

I Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

If we do not always see progress and results the way we think we should, we should never be discouraged to the point of quitting. We need to ask for wisdom to do our best, and trust God for results.

January 11

Ecclesiastes 3:9

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

Do we work hard, and someone else gets most of the profit for our effort? We need to work smart, as well as hard. Dwell by the Well, and ask God for wisdom. Even when our salaries are not large, we can invest some of our earnings (a biblical principle), whereby we can take some control of our own financial well-being. We can and should take control of our financial well-being for now, and for the future!

January 12

Ecclesiastes 5:9

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the earth.

We need to dwell by the Well and allow God to show us that He has created amply for us all. As christians, we were given dominion of the earth, and we are to seize upon it. Sadly, we lose this power when we allow the world and its wickedness to dominate us. We lose our ability to have dominion when we bury ourselves in debt.

January 13

Ecclesiasted 5:16

And this is also a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

We need to do our work for God and stay by the well of obedience and confession. Whether we work for McDonalds, the phone company, on an assembly line, or in carpentry, we work for the Lord and His glory. There is no profit for anyone if our money is gone before we get it. We need to do things decently and in order. We need to earn first, tithe, save and invest, spend less than we earn, and refuse to waste money on high interest rates and bank charges. It is a simple concept and simple math, yet we make ourselves miserable by refusing to accept it.

January 14

Ecclesiastes 7:11

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

No one is profited by receiving an inheritance or any other sum of money unless they have God’s wisdom to tithe, invest, and be