Springs Of Joy

"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58: 11)

What a wonderful and soul cheering promise is this! One could not describe true prosperity of soul much better than did the prophet. To be led of the Lord, to walk and talk with him daily and regularly, truly brings about this happy state of mind and healthy spiritual condition.

Lord God is the psychologist of psychologists and he knows what the barren and parched soul needs. He knows how to put sinners "in their right minds" (Mark 5: 15) and how to fill their souls with joy and gladness (Acts 14: 17), and how to give meaning and purpose and satisfaction to one's life.

He knows how to deliver a soul from depression and how to turn the soul into a fruitful and watered garden, wherein the Lord delights.

Those who have experienced the promise of Lord God, given by the prophet, can say with the Psalmist - "all my springs are in thee"(Psalm 87: 7); And - "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." (Psalm 36: 9); And, Lord God is recognized and confessed as "the fountain of Israel." (Psalm 68: 26)

The Lord Jesus Christ testified of this wonderful experience, which all who receive Christ as Lord and Savior, and trust in his atoning death and sacrifice for sin, experience, for they receive the "Holy Spirit of promise."

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4: 14)

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7: 38, 39)

How can we describe any better the real inner spiritual and mental life of the Christian? Within the Christian abides the Holy Spirit, Lord God himself, and he is there as a bubbling fountain, as a spring of joy and gladness. Those who are called to be Christians in heart are not gloomy, sad, and depressed people. How can they be with such a fountain of joy living within them?

"The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 13: 14)

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14: 27)

So, besides the Holy Spirit, the graces and gifts of the Spirit are also within the believer in Jesus; the word of God and the fear of the Lord abide with this precious fountain.

It is sad to see sinners reject Jesus and the gospel message.

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." (Jeremiah 2: 13)

"O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters." (17: 13)

Those who forsake the Lord find their souls, minds, and hearts in the most barren and desert state, spiritually speaking. It is God's judgment upon those who reject him.

"I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry." (Jeremiah 51: 36)

"Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels." (Hosea 13: 15)

Lost sinners do not have this real joy of heart. They lack it. They therefore suffer all the calamities of heart, mind, and conscience that come to all those who reject the Lord and his word. Rather than having within them a "living fountain," one that springs forth the purest of healing waters, the sinner has within him "a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring." (Proverbs 25: 26)

Thanks to Lord God that he made the promise of old, that says:

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zechariah 13: 1)

He will dry up the old corrupt fountain within a sinner, impart to him his own blessed Spirit, which will be within the saved sinner and be the most wonderful and purest of fountains.

"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Revelation 7: 17)

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." (Revelation 21: 6)

Friend, come to this fountain and drink! You will not regret it nor ever suffer from spiritual thirst again.