Once upon a time there was an old well that stood outside the front door of a family farmhouse in New Hampshire. The water from the well was remarkably pure and cold. No matter how hot the summer or how severe the drought, the well was always a source of refreshment and joy.

The faithful old well stood for years until eventually the farmhouse was modernized. Wiring brought electric lights, and indoor plumbing brought hot and cold running water. The old well was no longer needed, so it was sealed for use in possible future emergencies. But one day, years later, someone had a hankering for the cold, pure water of that familiar old well. So he unsealed the well and lowered a bucket for a nostalgic taste of the delightful refreshment he remembered from his youth.

He was shocked to discover that the well that once had survived the severest droughts was bone dry! Perplexed, he began to ask some of the older folks who knew about these kind of things. He learned that wells of that sort were fed by hundreds of tiny underground rivulets which seep a steady flow of water. As long as the water is drawn out of the well, new water will flow in through the rivulets, keeping them open for more to flow. But when the water stops flowing, the rivulets clog with mud and close up. The well dried up not because it was used too much, but because it wasn't used enough.

Possible Preaching Angles: Our souls are like that well. If we do not draw on the living water that Jesus promised would well up in us like a spring, our hearts close and dry up.