All Springs in Jesus Christ

Long before dawn I awoke this morning with the phrase in my mind, "All my springs are in you."  Throughout the morning I have been reminded of the passage of scripture so I searched and found it in Psalm 87.   The context of the song extols God as supreme, that He dwells in Zion, and draws people of many nations to Himself.  Psalm 87:7 reads, "Both the singers and the players on instruments say, "All my springs are in you."  It is fitting Jerusalem is situated upon a spring of fresh water which flows to this day, a picture of the life, provision, satisfaction, and refreshment which is found in God alone.  He truly is the source and fountain of all blessing.

When the children of Israel departed from Egypt, God supplied their every need.  Bread, meat, and water was miraculously provided for the great multitude.  Their lives did not depend upon their ability to find springs of water, their wisdom or discernment to discover an oasis, or their strength to dig deep enough:  God brought them water out of the rock when they were thirsty.  This was one great lesson of the long season in the wilderness, that their satisfaction and life was in God alone.  This perspective was echoed by Jesus Christ who bid His followers seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all would be added to them.  God created us needy and knows how to provide for His own in His time and marvelous way.

The springs God provided in the wilderness satisfied the bodies of man and beast but Jesus revealed He is able to provide for our spiritual needs as well.  He told the Samaritan woman at the well He was able to provide living water--which in the culture was fresh, running water in contrast to stagnant water in a cistern or well.  John 4:13-14 says, "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."  What He meant is further explained in John 7:37-39:  "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."  All our springs are in Jesus.

How good this is!  We do not need to seek out spiritual experiences, more dynamic worship services, look for fulfillment in service, or hope to find meaning in a legacy which ultimately will fade away:  all our springs are in Jesus Christ.  In seeking Jesus in faith we are made fruitful by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  Our spiritual thirst is satisfied in Him alone.  As long as we seek contentment in our circumstances, relationships with others, financial security, or in anything of this world which is perishing, though we have been born again emptiness and feelings of lack will plague us.  Consider God's love and care on those who He will bring out of the Great Tribulation in Revelation 7:15-17:  "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. ¹⁶ They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  Does God love us any less, also having purchased and redeemed us with the blood of Jesus?

We do not need to go to Jerusalem or immerse ourselves in the Gihon spring to be filled to overflowing with the living water Jesus gives to all who trust in Him.  He has come to us; God has made a way for us to experience His presence and eternal life forever.  How this satisfies the souls of those who seek Christ and His righteousness!  All who are thirsty come to Jesus and drink, for He causes rivers of living water to flow from our hearts.

Tolerance and Love

I recently was struck by the fundamental difference between tolerance and love.  Tolerance, to endure or allow what is not wholly approved, to bear or put up with, can be done with love as the motivation.  But tolerance in itself can be merely external and with effort can be accomplished politely whilst hatred is concealed within.  From a young age we learn to comply with directives from parents, teachers, bullies, rules or laws we think are silly, and we are conditioned to be tolerant of differences.  Tolerance has its place in a diverse society to be sure yet should never be confused with the love of God which is to mark the lives of Christians.

Love which is produced by the presence of the Holy Spirit is a defining characteristic of followers of Jesus Christ.  Paul exhorted in Romans 13:8, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."  Those who have been born again through faith in Christ are empowered to love others, and this is practically experienced through divine power and personal choice.  I freely confess many times I unwittingly substituted tolerance for love and good manners for kindness and compassion.  The irony is we can be proud of our tolerance of other people when our efforts fall woefully short of the grace and mercy God has shown us.  Because of God's love due to His goodness--not our worthiness--He gave Himself for our salvation and deliverance from the death we deserve.

In a world which touts tolerance as a great virtue, in a society which idolises individuality that conforms to their passions (and ironically savages who they deem intolerant), God's love transcends all the selfishness, fear, and pressure of this age.  The world tolerates those who conform to their ever-shifting standards, but praise the LORD He brings transformation of our hearts through the Gospel which is true and endures.  As Christians in a secular world there is a degree of tolerance required to navigate this world peaceably (as much as depends upon us according to Romans 12:8), and at the same time ensure we do not tolerate the sin of putting up with people instead of loving them like God does.  Believers walking in love towards people who share little to nothing in common is a way God has made for His love to be revealed.

If we will obey the numerous "one another" commands in scripture, it means we must walk in God's love as we spend time with other people who have different personalities, convictions, and perspectives.  In one local church alone there is a shocking amount of diversity between the various members because of backgrounds, beliefs, age, and interests, yet all are united by faith in Jesus Christ.  As unique members of the body of Christ it is fitting the hand should love the foot as they work together as part of the church.  It is not the Law of Moses but the love of God which unites and governs us, and walking in love is to be a primary aim as is written in 1 Peter 1:22-23, "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ²³ having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever..."

Tolerance has its place in our world, but it is never an adequate substitute for God's active love.

The Price of Neglect

God can use things like simple yardwork to convey spiritual truth.  I spent the morning chopping down a rogue jasmine vine which had taken over several plants in the vicinity.  I realised the lush green which blanketed the area was a jasmine vine which quickly spread.  Most likely it wasn't that the vine that grew so quickly, but a demonstration of the high price of neglect.

Truth be told, I am a low-maintenance gardener.  My focus had been on the turf while the vine slowly crept, twisting around other plants, choking out light and nutrients.  The result of passing glances without closer inspection resulted in not realising how prolific the jasmine vine had become:  the fresh green looked healthy but hid problems.  Attacking the jasmine brought my attention to a hollowed out bottle-brush tree and a bush which was also overgrown.  It was easy to chop off the shoots but the root stock is a solid mass.  Because of the limited size of my bin trimming and removal of the plants and roots will take weeks.

The high price of neglect doesn't only present itself in a garden but in the health of our body, soul, and relationships with God and others.  The dangerous thing about neglecting these attributes of life is how subtle they can be and how extensive the damage can be when all seems well.  It is good for us to realise regular effort of maintenance is far less costly and labour intensive than working to overcome neglect.  And sometimes neglect can inflict damage so severe no amount of work can reverse it.  Neglected homes, marriages, and physical health can be ruined beyond repair.

God is gracious to teach us lessons through overgrown vines to work on marriage or physical fitness.  Assuming green growth was a healthy signal caused neglect of what needed serious attention underneath.  Our intentions and habits need to be cleared away often to examine the condition of our hearts.  Thankfulness to God for all He has provided directs us to best maintain the things of life which matter most.

The Unpurged Sin

Unlike men who can be all talk with decent intentions, God always finishes what He starts.  He explained this in His revelation to Samuel concerning the judgment He would bring upon Eli and his house in 1 Samuel 3:12:  "In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end."  God's Word is true concerning judgment but also our sanctification and glorification as partakers of God's grace in Philippians 1:6, "...being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...".  God is the first and last, the beginning to end, and our only Way to eternal life with Him.

If we desire to experience eternal life in heaven, we must have our sins atoned for whilst on earth.  Consider the far-reaching implications of sin concerning Eli in 1 Samuel 3:13-14:  "For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever."  That is a most heavy statement because the weight of sin's guilt is eternal.  Eli would be judged according to his knowledge, and though he knew the sinfulness of his sons he did not restrain them.  God said for this reason the iniquity of Eli's house would not be purged with sacrifice or offering forever.  This is the place all sinners share in common, for without repentance there is no atonement possible.

This flies in the face of humanistic philosophy which says there must be something good or acceptable in us.  It is viewed as offensive and unfair to claim there is absolutely nothing a person can do to earn good standing with God, yet God has spoken.  God also done the miraculous, having provided the Way of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour.  There was atonement possible for Eli under Law, but God knew his heart.  He did not ask to be forgiven; he did not humble himself before God in confession.  There remained hope of forgiveness and deliverance for Eli and his house if they would put away their sin and seek the LORD in humility:  if God would relent from destroying the wicked of Nineveh wouldn't He hear the cries of the high priest?

What was true of Eli the high priest is also true concerning all people:  without repentance and atonement there can be no forgiveness.  But if we will confess our sins we can be forgiven on the basis of God's justice as is written in 1 John 1:8-9:  "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Repentance and seeking the LORD is a good work God enables us to do by His grace.  We all started our lives born into sin, and let us seek to finish them walking in humble agreement with our God.  Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."