With you is the fountain of life. (Psalm 36:9)
It is true that when Jesus saves us individually, He saves us to community. The Bible knows nothing of the solitary saint. When we are raised from death to life, we are placed within the body of Christ. As part of His body, we are to remain in contact with all the other parts of His body as we come together in our corporate worship, fellowship, service, and times of study. We are fed and nurtured in our faith when we are connected with the people of God.
But we have all experienced times when it seemed as though we were walking through a barren wilderness, even though we are surrounded by the people of God. Why? Perhaps we had neglected the Fountain Himself.
Speaking from both personal and pastoral experience, I can testify to this truth. It’s easy for me to get so focused on ministry that I neglect my time alone with the Master. To be sure, I am drinking from the wells of the great cloud of witnesses (other Christians), but that is a poor substitute for the Fount of Every Blessing (Jesus Christ). The family of faith will strengthen and support us as we walk with Christ through the details of life, but, make no mistake, only the Fountain will sustain us every step of the way.
It is in that Fountain of Life that we were first given new life. Like Lazarus, who was four days in the grave, we must be called forth from the tomb of spiritual death by the Fountain of Life to receive the new life that we now have in Christ. Once we have come forth from the tomb, our life experience is much like Peter’s. We declare to our Prince that we will never fall away . . . yet we all too often do, and with very little effort. What then? Like Peter, who denied the Lord three times on the night He was betrayed, we will be renewed and refreshed when we flee to the Fountain of life. And we must not simply sip from the wellspring of life, but submerge ourselves in it!
Do you thirst today? Do you feel like you’re running on empty? For some, that emptiness is simply because they have separated themselves from the people of God. If that is you, return at once to your family of faith. However, if you are plugged into the people of God and still find it hard to light up, return at once to your Fount of every blessing. The thirst you are experiencing is just a prelude to being filled to overflowing, for your Lord has promised, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37).
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 