We live out in the county and have a well for all of our water needs. We have never had a problem with our water until recently. We needed a new well pump. After we had a new one installed, we had our water tested. This is where the problems began. We had it tested 4 times over about 6 months and it failed the coliform test all 4 times.
In between these tests, we had to shock our well with granulated bleach. Our well is over 300’ deep, so we needed 1 lb of bleach. After recycling the water in the well for a few hours, we then had to run every faucet, shower, toilet, ice maker, clothes washer, and dishwasher until we smelled bleach out of both the hot and cold faucets. We then shut everything off and waited 24 hours. Then we tried to get rid of all that bleach in all the lines, which took another day or two. After waiting 2 weeks, we had the water retested and it failed every time.
The last attempt included adding 16 ounces of liquid detergent to the bleach to foam the inside of the well casing all the way to the top. Hence the foaming picture. We still failed. So I relented and installed a whole house UV light system and I believe my coliform problems are now behind me.
What did this teach me about sin and salvation?
Jesus repeatedly told everyone that He was the only way to eternal life. He was the only way to salvation and the forgiveness of sins. He also referred to Himself as the Light of the World.
John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Darkness and light were used by Jesus to compare the vast differences in His kingdom and the kingdom of Satan.
John 8:12Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
Jesus also described Himself as being able to provide living, eternal water.
John 4:10Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
My well example fits these verses. Man is always trying to feel good about himself. He thinks he is basically a good person. He can take care of his needs, cover his sins, and can do it all by himself. This is my example of trying to use bleach to clean my water. It did not work. I needed a totally different solution; the old ways did not work. Many just try to clean up their act, but that doesn’t work either in the sight of God
I needed a solution that went deeper than just bleach on dirty water. I needed living water. The light of Jesus Christ is the only light that can forgive sins, remove our sins, or make us white as snow.
Psalms 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalms 103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His loving kindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
What have you been trying to cleanse yourself? How is it working? Only Christ can lift the burden and remove the penalty for your sins.
