“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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38. “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 living water is the Spirit and the life in God’s Word. One can read God’s Word as a letter, without Spirit and life, and the result is a dry desert life. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” Ch. 5:39-40. Jesus came to give us life in abundance. John 10:10. He creates a new and pure heart in us which can receive the living water. “A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” Song of Sol. 4:15. A glorious orchard in which grew the best fruits was able to flourish because of this fountain. Everything that grew there was so firmly rooted in the ground that neither the north wind nor the south wind could move these wonderful plants. The stronger the winds blew, the more glorious was the aroma that came from this garden. The people of Israel walked in the desert for forty years, and there was strife over every well with water in it. It was a question of life or death. No one can live without water. There was rejoicing and song when they came to the well that the Lord had shown to Moses. They sang, “Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it—the well the leaders sank, dug by the nation’s nobles, by the lawgiver, with their staves.” Num. 21:16-17. They were constantly on the move and were always searching for water to quench their thirst for a short while. “They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.” Num. 33:9. Elim was a nice oasis in the desert. God has arranged it so that those who wander in the desert have everything they need for the body. They continued their restless wanderings in hopes of finding several such oases. They saw something that resembled an oasis, and they continued to wander without reaching what they thought they had seen. It proved to be only a mirage, and in their disappointment they died in the desert sand. A life outside of Christ is a desert life constantly filled with new hopes that end up in disappointment. In the new covenant we have through the Holy Spirit received a fountain of life in us that wells up with joy and blessing in every circumstance. In Christ there is only one fountain and one hope, and we will never be disappointed if we stay there. “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God of Israel is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation.” Isa. 12:2. Let us draw from this well and quench our thirst so we do not thirst for anything else. “He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.” Ps. 110:7. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Rom. 11:33. There are bottomless wells in God’s wisdom. The more you dig, the more you will discover an abundance of the riches of comfort and joy. Thus you can also draw from the depths of the wells of love and from all the fountains of the virtues of Christ. All these wells of living water are constantly being filled with water that is clear as crystal from the throne of God and the Lamb. Rev. 22:1. Just think of the word of the cross which is a mighty power against all selfish demands and evil inventions. This life-giving well washes away everything that is a hindrance to a genuine, unfailing brotherhood. “They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them; for He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water He will guide them.” Isa. 49:10.Aksel J. Smith