Have you ever been faced with issues and questions that not even Google could resolve? Often these types of issues relate to one’s personal set of circumstances and therefore generic answers e.g. Google answers do not suffice. I faced such an issue recently.
As a teenager I was fascinated by a water dowser (dowsing is a technique for finding underground water) who came to my grandfather’s farm to point out to him where he should drill for water. This man used 3 methods of water dowsing namely (i) a forked branch, (ii) a bottle with water balanced on the palm of his hand and (iii) two wires bent in a “L”-shape. By walking around on the farmland these various water dowsing “instruments” would react in some way when he crossed an underground water source. The man explained that these methods of water dowsing do not work on everybody; only certain people can do it. So, both my dad and grandfather tried it without success. When I tested it, it worked. The forked branch turned in my tightly gripped hands; the water-filled bottle drop from my open hand and the two wires moved. I was both exited and baffled hence I tried my utmost to stop these things from happening but couldn’t – the branch kept turning, the bottle dropped, and the wires crossed.
Being a youngster with many other exciting prospects like sport, I didn’t make much of this “water dowsing skill” that I had – my teenage friends were not interested or bothered. Years later the topic came up again whilst on a farm. I tried it again whilst standing near a borehole – the branch turned in my hand. We joked and laughed about it because it would not work on the others. That was it, I did not think much of it.
A few years later my brother bought a farm and he needed to drill boreholes. He invited a professional dowser to show him where to drill for water. Visiting him over the following weekend he told me about this dowser and his findings. We decided that he would take me to the area, remove the markers without me seeing where it was, and then see if I could come up with the same/similar spots for drilling. My forked branch and water bottle reacted positively within two meters from the pro’s indicated spots. Two boreholes were drilled at the various spots and both produced water, one more than the other. Although I was intrigued, I did not bother to really apply my mind to this phenomenon even though I was already a born-again believer by that time. I did not think about dowsing in spiritual terms.
On Sunday 14 July 2024 my brother asked me again to “confirm” the spots that a professional dowser identified with electronic equipment. Again, my forked branch pointed to similar spots. However, for the first time I told my brother that this “thing” confuses me. What is making the branch turn in my tightly gripped hands? Why is it only working with me and not with my brother nor his son? I left the farm with a lot of questions about this method of finding underground water.
My brother was hoping to find a spot for a borehole closer to the farmhouse. I offered to come back on the following Wednesday to check for such a spot. On Wednesday morning before leaving for the farm, I googled ‘water dowsing’, hoping to find some clarity on the how and why. I found an article stating that there is no scientific proof for this ‘ancient’ method of finding underground water. After browsing through a few more articles, both for and against this method, I stumbled upon an article about the spiritual validity of dowsing. It referenced two Bible passages namely:
Hosea 4: 12 (NLT) – They asked a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! and,
Acts 16: 16-18 talks about a slave girl with a divining spirit who tortured Paul and Silas to the point where Paul commanded the evil spirit within her to leave her in the name of Jesus Christ.
Because I was in a rush to get to the farm, I did not read the last-mentioned article in full and neither the Bible scriptures but what I did read was enough to cast doubt in my mind about this practice. For this reason, I spoke to my Lord Jesus Christ whilst in the car on my way to the farm. I told Him about my confusion regarding this matter and said to Him that I don’t want to do anything that is outside of His will for my life. It was a brief discussion.
Upon arrival on the farm, I proceeded to cut a fresh forked branch and filled a bottle with water. I started the dowsing procedure with the water bottle at a nearby existing /‘struggling’ borehole. The bottle did not drop like usual. I thought that the borehole had been pumped empty earlier that morning hence no reaction from the bottle. I decided to return to the spots where both the pro and I found signs of water on previous occasions. Standing on the exact spot that I marked on the previous Sunday, as the most ideal spot for a new borehole, I was stunned to find that neither the water bottle nor the forked branch was reacting like it did on Sunday. Nothing worked!!
Being a believer, I know from experience that God hears our prayers and that there definitely is power in prayer. It dawned upon me that I have asked the Lord to address my confusion by keeping me within His will. He has answered my prayer by removing the power of water dowsing that used to be within me. I seated myself on a rock nearby and waited upon the Lord to speak to me but instead He simply reminded me of what had just happened – He removed an evil spirit that resided in me for many years, that I considered to be harmless in my ignorance. That is huge for my ongoing spiritual growth. I thanked my Lord.
I phoned my brother to inform him that I was unable to perform this task of dowsing; it was no longer working. He initially suggested that perhaps it is because of something I ate in the morning or perhaps some medication that I took. I said that I would explain later.
On my way out of the farm I happen to see my brothers’ eldest son busy with the cattle. I stopped to greet and to share my story. It soon became apparent that my story sparked something inside of him that needed to be addressed urgently. This personal issue was draining him completely and he needed to hear about the reality of Christ and His eagerness to help those who turn to Him.
Arriving home a few hours later I shared my experience with my beloved wife. She reminded me that earlier in the week we dealt with the Bible Study topic of “Spiritual House Cleaning” based on Hebrews 12: 1 – “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,” James 1: 21 address the same matter: “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”
We were challenged to get rid of everything that hinders our spiritual progress. The question was: “What is it and how will you do this?” I could not think of anything at that point in time hence I wrote: “Get rid of any evil and seek forgiveness for hosting it” I might not have known but God knew what I needed to get rid of and He helped me in doing it!
Getting into bed that evening my mind wanted to question God on the events of the day. Why would God be opposed to a harmless means of discovering a water source? It’s been happening throughout the ages. The Holy Spirit convinced me not to go there, not to try to justify it but to accept God’s answer because that is the truth of the matter. From then on, I thanked the Lord for ridding me from this evil spirit.
(The following is quoted from a very useful article in https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-dowsing.html )
“The bottom line is that dowsing is a form of divination, a practice strictly forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 17:17; Leviticus 19:26). Divination is an attempt to predict the future or uncover secret knowledge through a supernatural means other than the Lord. Sorcery, divination, witchcraft, and other occult practices have been a part of human history since Old Testament days. This type of activity was one of the reasons God was so severe with the Canaanite nations and commanded His people to have nothing to do with it (Deuteronomy 18:14; Micah 5:12).
There are only two spiritual forces at work in our world: God and Satan. They are both real, both spirits, and both powerful. But they are not equals. Satan is merely a created being, a fallen angel whom God allows to rule this world within the boundaries God has established (2 Corinthians 4:4; Luke 10:18). Any supernatural power that does not originate with God is evil. There are no neutral spirits, friendly guides, or positive energies. There is no “power of the universe” behind supernatural occurrences. We are either experiencing the mighty power of God or dabbling in Satan’s playground.”
My initial ignorance allowed this spirit of “Water witching” or “Water divining” to reside in me for years. How sure are you that there are not similar evil spirits residing dormant in you? It is absolutely worth it asking the Lord of lords to rid you of those potential evil spirits. Go beyond Google, rather go GOD!!
Charles Kendall
Recommended reading: https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-dowsing.html