In Genesis 49 we find Joseph at the bedside of his father, Jacob, right before his death. Jacob is giving the great patriarchal blessings to his twelve sons. As he is speaking to his son, Joseph, he says in verse 22, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:” This was Jacob’s descriptive picture of Joseph’s life.
We know Joseph was a fruitful bough. Everywhere he went it was said of him that he secured the presence of the Lord and that whatsoever he did prospered. What a challenge this is to us to walk with God when life is going good and when life is going bad. A Christian should always be capable of being blessed by God regardless of their circumstances.
Jacob said of Joseph, “even a fruitful bough by a well”. The well was the key. The secret to Joseph’s success, fruitfulness, and faithfulness was the well. The difference between success and failure today is where we get our water. By that I mean when we are drawing our energy from the Lord we are able to face anything. But when we are depending on the world we are as unstable as the wind.
God says in Psalm 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” The well we must be near is the Word of God! When we are consistently nurtured by God’s Word, whatever we do will prosper. The Bible says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105). Success can be a reality if we are in God’s Word daily. A believer will find no “well” in the world. Satan offers many look-a-likes but I assure you the water he is offering will only make you sick.
The difference between success and failure is location. We must wear out a path to the “well” of God’s Word and in doing so; we will become a fruitful bough.
