“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” Psalm 36:9 NIV
The Fountain of Life
Fountains. So ornate — and yet so ordinary.
On the one hand, there are the big, beautiful edifices that give so much life to the landscape! These works of art are not so much to be partaken of as they are to be admired.
Just the other night my wife and I were driving by an open field in an undeveloped plot right near a shopping mall. Her idea for the development of that plot was a big, beautiful fountain or fountains.
Then there’s the plain-old everyday water fountain. You know, the drab-looking machine right outside the office that you go to when you need a drink. We pay no attention to how it looks because it calls no attention to itself. It’s simply there for us whenever we happen to be in its vicinity and need a drink.
Fountains in the Bible
But wait: doesn’t the Bible speak of fountains? Is there not a mention of fountains are far back as Genesis — way before the advent of modern (or even ancient) technology? Could there be more to this “fountain of life thing” than we moderns may realize?
Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines a fountain as a “natural source of living water.” Webster’s had it as “a spring of water issuing from the earth.” A natural source issuing from the earth? So fountains aren’t just man made machines?
Far from it. As far back as Genesis 2:6 we see evidence of underground fountains providing for the earth’s vegetation. And in Deuteronomy 8:7 we read of how God had been preparing (likely for a millennia or two) the Promised Land for His people as “good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills.”
But wait: there’s more! From the pen of David we learn of God’s tender loving care for the entire earth:
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it. Psalm 65:9
Kind of like our man-made ones, the natural fountains can be both ornate and ordinary. On the one hand, who hasn’t had their breath taken away by a majestic waterfall? Yet for the most part, the fountains spoken of in Scripture are streams coming from the earth that are barely noticed — yet without which vegetation cannot survive.
The Divine Paradox
Can you see God has woven into nature the very paradox of Who He is? On the one hand He is not only majestic — He is the very definition of majesty. His beauty is so dazzling that the human body cannot stand it. More than once in Scripture we read of some of the greatest saints falling dead at the sight of His glory.
On the other hand, He hides Himself in the cracks and crevices of our everyday lives, quietly providing for us “underneath the surface” without us even noticing! Whether in the form of provision for our daily necessities or laying the groundwork for provision of a future need, so much of what He does is unspectacular and barely noticeable.
Whether spectacular or not, whether noticeable or not, we cannot survive without His provision. Psalm 104:27–30 sums it up:
All creatures look to You
to give them their food at the proper time.
When You give it to them,
they gather it up;
when You open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
When You hide Your face,
they are terrified;
when You take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
“With You is the fountain of life.” Are these words coming into clearer focus now?
Let’s go deeper.
A little closer to home…
Every one of us is born into moral and spiritual destitution. In case you’re wondering what “destitution” means, here it is: “poverty so extreme that one lacks the means to provide for oneself.” Really we’re worse than destitute. Listen to how Paul put it:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” Ephesians 2:2
Dead? Yes, dead! You can’t get any more “destitute” than that!
But the follower of Jesus has been restored. We are not only forgiven; we have been “raised us up with Christ and seated…with Him in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:6). We’ve received not only provision; we’ve received resurrection power!
And to top it all off, we’ve been given His Spirit to constantly abide in us. He (the Holy Spirit) is not only our constant “traveling companion.” He is the “river of life” Himself! Remember this precious proclamation made by our LORD on a Jewish feast day some 2000 years ago that “rivers of living water will flow” from within all who believe in Him? Those rivers are embodied by His Spirit! And whether we know it or not, those rivers are alive in us!
Messiah’s Fountain of Life in Us
As a follower of the risen Messiah, you have a fountain of life inside you. You have a never-ending stream of living water flowing inside of you. That’s right: YOU!
“All my fountains are in You.” When I became a follower of Jesus, He took all my fountains (that is, the “streams” in my inner being of hopes, dreams, personality, etc.) and made them tributaries to flow into His fountain. And His fountain is a source of resurrection power not only for me but for the world around me!
Take time today to submit to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25; Jude 20). Let Him harness your inner fountains into the flow of His fountain — and expect your life to be transformed into a fountain of resurrection power for the world around you!
This devotion originally appeared on Devotable written by Gary David Flamberg
Devotable is a brand trying to spread the word of God to everyone around the world.
If you like what we’re doing, please connect with us. We love to hear feedback. Follow us on facebook, twitter, instagram or pinterest. Subscribe to our newsletter for daily devotions and news right in your inbox.
Also, please leave us a clap here on Medium to show your support!
