GOING TO THE SPRING EVERY DAY

God told the prophet Jeremiah that His people had committed two evils. First, they had forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters and second, they had carved out large stone vessels that were broken and could hold no water. There is an everlasting difference between a fountain of living fresh water and a broken pot that cannot hold anything.

Above all other physical needs, God designed us to use water every day. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians that our outward man is perishing Even with daily doses of water, the "house" we live in is dying. In the same passage, however, Paul told us that our inward man is being renewed day by day. Make no mistake, this twenty-four hour cycle that finds us waking up in a new day was created with purpose. We live in a concrete reminder of our dependence on taking daily spiritual nourishment from the Living Source of Life.

Yes, to be born again is absolutely essential. But also to be nourished after that birth is essential. God's health to our "spiritual bones" cannot be put in one's pocket like a hot roll, forgotten about until it ends up in the washing machine. God's spiritual nourishment is like the manna that came to the children of Israel daily.* Those who did not heed his instructions, and through greed or fear gathered more than they could eat, found that yesterday's manna became today's breeding ground for maggots.

We all understand the motivation of those who gathered more than they needed. It takes a strong faith to trust that the manna will be there tomorrow. It takes a humble spirit to admit and act upon such a glaring dependence on another. And it takes a willful step toward that help every single day - a step that takes time.

Life's experiences have taught us to be wary of depending on another. We are driven to use our time wisely. We even loathe the idea of tasks that are repetitive. A good job is one that stays done - like bridges and dams.

But we are asked by our Creator to put these self-fulfilling needs aside - almost to become a fool for Him. We are humiliated by this dependence in some deep place of our pride. That is a normal reaction to dependence. It is normal but deadly to our relationship with God.

And has He ever failed to deliver that fresh living water to us when we went to Him? Prayers perhaps have gone unanswered. Questions still plague our mind. But turned away thirsty? Never!

The Living Spring waits. A visit there will cost us our time and our pride. But empty broken vessels are crafted with this pride. And we cannot survive unless we take the time to drink. So we must go to the Spring - we must go there now. We must go there every day. We must go again - go again and again.

*Manna to be gathered daily except for a double portion on day preceding the Sabbath.
(Jeremiah 2:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Proverbs 3:8; John 3:3; Exodus 16:5; Exodus 16:20; Proverbs 6:16, 17; Isaiah 55:1).