Lambs, Wells, and Names

I’ve been listening to a 12 part teaching series by Ray Hughes the last couple of weeks and something began burning in me as God started speaking to me about several different subjects and connecting them all together. They have been swirling around in my mind and I have done my best here to share on each one in order and to put words to what I have been feeling.  It all began as Ray Hughes spoke on the stringed instruments that were crafted for David’s court which were used during the writing of many of the psalms. He shared about how the strings for these instruments were made from the upper belly of the sacrificed lambs stomachs.  Interestingly the Hebrew word for Hand – YAD And the Hebrew word for Praise – YADA So all of this creates an incredible picture for us. Up until David these sacrificial lambs were the primary form of worship being used. But then David takes from the belly of these lambs to form strings of new sounds and new frequencies. Furthermore these sounds are released by touching the strings with the musicians hand. This hit me hard as I listened because God has been talking to me about wells. Wells of worship and wells of sounds that are on the inside of His people. He has been giving me pictures of worshippers carrying sounds in their bellies. But unfortunately, many of us have capped off our wells. Why does this happen? Many times, we cap them off out of fear. Many times it happens in relation to a lack of understanding of our identities. Many times, we are afraid of our sound. Am I too much? Or Am I too little? The Holy Spirit has been giving me visions of people with capped off wells. I’ve watched as she has simply walked up to people and placed her YAD, or hand, on the bellies, or wells, to release the sound that had been held back. You see, if our well is capped off it becomes our tomb. As God was speaking to me about these wells He compared it to Lazarus’ tomb where the entrance was covered with a large stone. When we cap off our wells, apart of us slowly dies on the inside. That is where we get the identity crisis from. So what does Jesus have to do? He comes and stands at the entrance to our well, He removes the stone that’s capped it off, maybe He cries a little with us to refresh the water with His tears, He prays, and then He shouts our name.  Names are incredible things. We sing a lot about the Name of Jesus, and all His other wonderful names too. But how many of us have considered the importance of our own names to God? In Isaiah 49 it even mentions God inscribing his children’s name on his hand. I don’t know if its biblical, but I like to think of when God formed me He spoke my name and then called me good, like He did with creation in Genesis.  I think it’s a powerful thing when God calls out our name. That’s why I love the scene in the Chosen when Mary Magdalen is found by Jesus at the bar. After she has been tormented for years Jesus chases her down, calls out her name then speaks Isaiah 43, “Fear not, I have redeemed you, I call you by name; You are mine”. Sometimes we just need Him to say our name.  When our well is capped off, we need Jesus to stand outside our well, lean over the edge and call out our name, and say, Come forth Fear not for I have redeemed you; you are mine Spring up oh well! You have a sound! Let it go, let it out Can you hear it?