All Our Springs in Jesus

Psalm 87:7 has been in my mind of late and says, "Both the singers and the players on instruments say, "All my springs are in you."  The context of the song of the singers and musicians is Zion is a source of blessing because of God's presence there.  God is the sole source of life in heaven and earth, and He is man's only provider of salvation, contentment, and rest for eternity.

The Gihon spring is a natural water source in Jerusalem.  On a couple of occasions I have enjoyed treking through "Hezekiah's Tunnel" located underneath the city of David.  It is important to note the Psalmist said, "All my springs are in you" and not "...from you."  A spring of water flowing from underground can cover a great distance and the water downstream can be polluted or stagnate in pools.  It is true all the blessings we enjoy in life come from God, yet they are only realised when we are in Him through faith.  Even believers at times value what we receive from God more than His presence and who we are in Him.  The picture of water flowing from the rock in the wilderness was a great picture of God's presence, refreshing and satisfying those who partake of Him by grace.

Though God's people affirmed all their springs were in Him, due to their folly they sought to satisfy their thirst elsewhere.  The prophet said in Jeremiah 2:11-13:  "Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. ¹² Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate," says the LORD. ¹³ "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water."  The irony is thick here:  the heathen in countries around Israel were loyal to their powerless idols yet God's people forsook the Living God!  Imagine choosing broken, leaking cisterns which collected muddy run-off water over the LORD who is the fountain of living waters.  Let us not for a moment think we are spiritually superior than these who changed their Glory for what did not profit, for we have all been guilty of the same.  If we are not guilty than we are righteous in ourselves and have no need for repentance, forgiveness, or salvation.

Once Jesus entered Samaria and asked a woman who came to draw water from the well for a drink.  She initially balked at His request as Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.  Her curiosity was piqued when He could supply her with living water.  John 4:13-14 reads, "Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman was thinking only about H²O but Jesus was speaking of spiritual water supplied by the Holy Spirit.  She preferred living water (fresh, moving water) over stagnant water in a well to temporarily quench her thirst, and the Living Water Jesus promised is infinitely superior, springing up into eternal life.  All our springs are in Jesus:  the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Are you thirsty today?  Jesus bids all who thirst to come unto Him and drink.  John 7:37-39 reads, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  After Jesus died on the cross He rose from the dead glorified.  He ascended into the heavens and has sent the Holy Spirit to supply us with Living Water so we might be the source through whom others taste and see that God is good.  Our hearts once hard as stone can become fountains of living water which supply eternal life to all who trust in Jesus and are born again by faith in Him.