Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Usually when we think of wells,
we envision a hole in the ground which is dug by men to get at
the water which flows beneath the surface of the earth. This
is the view that those who preach a man-centered gospel preach.
They say God has provided salvation, but it is up to us to get a hold
of it or appropriate it for ourselves. They picture the blood of Jesus
Christ as making salvation a possibility for everybody, but actually saving
nobody. All that God can do, according
to them, is sit idly by, hoping that someone will drill a well
and tap into the water supply. Others even go so far as to say
that they believe that God has provided an eternal salvation
for some, but that it is up to men to gain the benefits of salvation
by drilling the same wells which are said to tap into God's blessings.
Some describe this as living according to the moral law or
working out their sanctification. Any blessing which depends on
the ability, free will, or desire of men to lay hold of it is sure
to go unenjoyed by those for whom it is intended. Any sanctification
which depends upon the active participation of men is one which
is yet tainted with sin, and cannot be that to which the sons
of God have been appointed. When the scripture describes
the events which occurred in the earth to bring about the
flood in Noah's day, it says the same day were all the fountains
of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were
opened. The Hebrew word which is translated fountains in this
passage also is translated as wells. When Isaiah writes, therefore
with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
It is translated as springs in the Psalms. All my springs are
in thee. He sendeth the springs into the
valleys which run among the hills. These wells of salvation from
which the sons of God draw water with joy from are not those dug
by the hands of men, but are provided by the one who is the
living water. He that believeth on me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. This belief is not a condition which men must meet in order
to get this water. Rather, this belief is the evidence
of those who have been given this water, by him who said,
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. These
wells of salvation are those which are flowing from an aquifer
that shall never run dry. 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.
The obedience of the sons of God is not the cause whereby
this water continually flows. Rather, it is the continual flow
of this water that brings about obedience in the sons of God.
Obedience is not the cause of God's blessings, but it is the
evidence of it. What greater joy do the sons
of God have than walking before the Lord in the counsel of His
Word? And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also
shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. This
well of salvation is the very source of joy for the sons of
God. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. The
very foundation of all of the joy of God's elect children is
in the substitutionary, vicarious atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Without the imputation of our sin to Him and His righteousness
to us, we would be most miserable and would have absolutely no
foundation upon which to approach the Lord our God. Yet now, as
those whose sin dead is forever counseled, and whose complete
acceptance in Christ is secured for eternity, we can do nothing
but rejoice, regardless of any trial which may befall us in
this world, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet
making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
This well of salvation is the strength of God's children. Then
He said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet,
and send portions unto them, for whom nothing is prepared.
For this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for
the joy of the Lord is your strength. The enemy of the sons of God
would seek to rob them of that joy which the Lord has purchased
for them. He would do all within his power to keep them in the
dark concerning the grand truth that there is no condemnation
to the sons of God. He labors to weigh them down
with burdens that no man can bear. Be not discouraged, O children
of the Most High. Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. Have you drunk from this well
which never runs dry? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.