Attending to our Tunnels

“…for God had given him very much…Hezekiah topped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel.” 2 Chronicles 32:29-30

King Hezekiah really was brilliant, and although his heart had become prideful, one of the greatest accomplishments in his reign was the Tunnel of Siloam. As king, he had to consider the constant threat of attack from the leaders of other regions. As described above, King Hezekiah commissioned workers to begin digging an underground tunnel where water would flow. With the carved tunnel being accessed only from underground, there would be no water supply for any army who besieged them above ground. ‘How the Israelite engineers dealt with the difficult feat of making two teams digging from opposite ends meet far underground is still not fully understood, but some suggest that the two teams were directed from above by sound signals generated by hammering on the solid rock through which the tunnelers were digging.’ Tunnel engineering in the Iron Age: Geoarchaeology of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem". Journal of Archaeological Science. 33 (2): 227–237.

When I saw an aerial visual of the stretch of tunnel, it triggered a spiritual snapshot of the importance of moving towards God. For so much of my adult life I was at the mouth of one side of the tunnel not even listening for the sounds and signals of God. The Trinity was at the mouth of the other side of the tunnel hammering on the rocky places of my heart. I was digging channels of the world which never freed up the flow of true satisfaction, joy and contentment. But in 2006, I began hearing the faint calls from the Spirit and turned my chisel towards the call from above instead of the noise of the world. Over the next 14 years the ‘two teams’ have been moving towards the middle. I still have much chiseling to do for the full flow of the Living Waters to move in complete abundance but the sound signals from above are more audible and I know the direction I need to be moving. Only when I take my last breath will I pound that last solid rock loosening the final barrier.

We are all under the constant threat of attack in our own kingdoms. God has given us all so much for which to be thankful. But we must protect those blessings with which God entrusted us by carving out paths to Him. We must attend to our tunnels by setting aside time with Him and listening for His voice for guidance and wisdom. We must continue to dig into His word to know His heart on all things and recognize His character showing us how to treat others. We must be willing to help others at times dig their tunnels and accept help when we need it. One sweet day…a day that was ordained by God Himself before we were even born…we will meet Him in the middle and experience the ongoing flow of eternity.