Divine Appointments at the Well

Genesis 24:10–11 (NASB95) 

10Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 

Abraham’s servant set out on a mission to find a wife for Isaac. He arrived in the city of Nahor with ten camels and gifts, a sign of Abraham’s wealth and the seriousness of his task. The servant stopped at a well outside the city, waiting until evening, the time when women came to draw water. This detail is important. The servant chose the expected hour, maximizing his chance to meet the right woman. The well was a place of daily routine, but it was also a place where God’s providence could break into ordinary life. 

The story of meeting a future spouse at a well is a recurring theme in Scripture. Jacob would later meet Rachel at a well. Moses would meet Zipporah at a well. Each time, the well becomes a place of divine encounter and new beginnings. These Old Testament stories point forward to a greater meeting at a well in John 4. There, Jesus met the Samaritan woman. Unlike the servant in Genesis, the Samaritan woman came at midday, not the usual time for drawing water. She came when she expected to be alone, but Jesus was waiting for her. Their meeting was not a coincidence. It was a divine appointment. 

The contrast in timing is striking. In Genesis, the servant arrives at the expected hour. In John, the woman comes at an unexpected time. Yet both encounters are orchestrated by God. The servant’s prayer is answered as Rebekah arrives. The Samaritan woman’s life is changed forever by her conversation with Jesus. God’s timing is perfect, whether it fits our expectations or not. What seems like chance is often the hand of God at work. 

We must ask ourselves if it is ever a coincidence when God meets us in the ordinary or unexpected moments of life. The answer is no. God arranges these meetings for His purpose. He meets us at the well, whether we come at the right time or the wrong time. He is always ready to reveal His grace and fulfill His promises. 

Trust that God is present in both routines and surprises of life. He arranges encounters that change lives, often when we least expect it. We should be attentive to His leading, ready to see His hand in every meeting and moment. God’s providence is never accidental. He is always on time.