May All Our Springs be in God

God allows the oppressor to come so that we might be driven further into Him, that we might intercede for the needs of others.

Jesus shed every drop of His precious blood for the sins of the world, but the shedding of His blood was small in comparison to the pouring out of His soul. “He hath poured out His soul unto death.” (Isaiah 53:12).

Some people will go through all kinds of afflictions of the body, but they will not pour out their souls for lost souls. Jesus not only let His blood pour from His body, but He gave His very soul an offering for sin. That is part of us that our flesh does not want touched. The flesh can sing, read, listen and go so far. But how much is that deep agony of soul in any of our worship to God? God does not want emotionalism, but He wants us stirred.

When we are bereaved of a loved one, our souls are stirred to the depths. As Joseph’s brothers came to Jacob and told him that the master in Egypt demanded that they bring him Benjamin, Jacob said, “If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” As a bear would be bereaved of her whelps, the cry, the moan pierces the very air of the night.

We read of the prophets, how they had that bereavement, that cry of agony over Israel.

We are not stirred, and we can easily tell it, because if we were, we would have a heart that was bereaved because of the lost.

God is bereaved over His people. Jesus has died, and men and women are still groping in blindness. They cannot see Him by looking to the heavens. They are in the darkness, the mire and dirt. Some look up at the heavens, but they cannot find Him. They wonder, they long for Jesus Christ.

How are we portraying Him? The world must see Jesus through human lives. It is God’s will that the world should see Jesus in us. The sad part is that people need a magnifying glass to find Him in us. They look through the different things of our lives, and at last they might find a little of Jesus and a lot of self.

Paul said, “I am determined that Christ should be magnified in my body.” If this were true, people will not have to wonder if we belong to Jesus. But that we might have Christ so magnified that men and women will not see us, but that they will see Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I believe Paul’s heart’s desire was answered because we can see that Christ was magnified in his body. We can read those wonderful words to the Philippians, “Those things I counted gain, etc.” Oh, those are not light words. They are not words of a song. But they are words that came out of knowing what it meant, out of knowledge, out of the depths of his heart. And they had come forth from a life that had given itself entirely over into the hands of God.

God is using human channels. He has chosen to use human instruments, that His glory might be manifested to this sin-sick world.

We look at a caterpillar and see it crawling on the ground, the dust is the best thing it can go through. It is repulsive to us, but how it is changed after a while. It is almost unbelievable that this same something, that moves so slowly, that never gets above the ground, is changed by God’s power into a beautiful butterfly. And it is able to fly from flower to flower. No more groveling in the dust, but released to fly at will from the things that had hold of it.

This is a type of our lives. One time unlovely, sunk in the mud and mire, unable to move if we wanted to. But thank God for the liberty, for setting us free, for the wings that He can give us to fly away and be free.

I praise God tonight that we can be set free. But not to have just a blithesome time, not just to flit from place to place, not just to have an outlet that never brings results. The butterfly is not set free just to be free, not just to sing that He has raised us. But He wants us moved, so that souls might be saved—that precious men’s and women’s lives that are down in defeat might be born again by the power of God. It worked in Paul, and it can work in us.

As the Psalmist said, “All my springs are in thee.” We can see our Saviour, how He had His foundation in the holy mountain. How we need our eyes set upon the hills, how we need our faces set as flint, how we need our springs to be in Him. All of Jesus’ springs were in the Father.

He said, “I delight to do thy will, etc.” When we hear the word of God to our hearts, does it delight us? Does it rejoice us because it is the Father’s will? Jesus did. When He heard the Father’s will for Him, He delighted in it and did it. It was revealed to Him every day, and as He set His face as flint towards the cross, all His springs were in God. He came not to do His own will, but the Father’s. He did not have years and years to work in. He did not take certain advantages because He was the Son of God and thought He would string it out. No, He said, He worked the works of God while it was yet day. He knew the night was coming for Him, and He did that which the Father sent Him to do. When He heard the Father’s will, it was His desire to please the Father.

How we need to have our springs in that eternal foundation! Our source of supply is in Him. There is trembling, agitation, an unsettled condition when all our springs are not in Him. When our springs are in Him, everything will turn out all right. We cannot fail. Jesus did not fail. He was not delivered, He did not finish His work effectively in the eyes of the world. But He went through because His purpose was to do the Father’s will.

When they came out crying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” He did not stoop down and take a drink from the well of the praise of men. No, praise the Lord, all His springs were in the Father. He did not need any of the world’s supply. And when the time came to crucify Him, to put Him on the cross, He did not get discouraged, He did not drink that bitter cup of despair. One is just as deadly as the other—to be lifted up with the flattery of men, or to be pushed down by discouragement to defeat. His source was in God. His springs were in Him.

Jesus drank from the Father’s hand. He did the will of God. He drank the cup His Father wanted Him to drink—the cup His Father mixed for Him.

As the springs have their source in the mountains, Jesus was the One who did the will of God. And that source that came forth was worked out in His life, and He was able to give out the water of life to others. He was able to say, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I 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” (John 4:14).

When we sit and eat and drink of what the Father has to give, then we can do His will, because His will will be in us. When my springs are in God, it means His will is my will. It means that He will work in me that which He desires. It means that I am not cast down when the enemy comes to discourage, nor am I lifted up when the enemy comes to flatter.

Springs in the coal mining region are pure. But as they go further, they are mixed into coal dirt, and the water becomes black. It is not because the source is not fresh, or good, or that the spring gives forth bad water. But it has gone through the mining region, it has become blackened by the circumstances it comes in contact with.

Jesus is real, pure, clean. We start out with eternal springs, and our hearts are bubbling with the water of life. But as it comes down, it gets darker and darker, and as it flows through our lives, it is not what it started out to be.

Let us tonight, get our eyes off of the things around about us, and ask that our springs might be in Him—that everything we desire might be in the Lord Jesus Christ, that our wills might be His and His might be ours.

We might say that Jesus knew the will of God. He knew and drank at the spring that the Father gave Him to drink from. But we too know the will of God. God has spoken to us. It is His will that we be sanctified, clean, pure, and also He has spoken more. He has told us we have a vision before us of people waiting for the water of life.

As we sing, there are those who are waiting for something that we can do. They are waiting in darkness, in blindness, waiting for the water of life. We have the something that will quench their parched condition. We have the something that is good for their souls, and God has called us to do something for the heathen. We look into our little sphere of life, busily building up homes and families that will perish with the using. God has called us to something higher. He has called us for those heathen who are in darkness.

I saw a vision once of two people. The one was so starved looking, the bones coming through his flesh, wandering along through the heat of the desert, wanting just a little drink of water. At last, as he came to a little stream with pure water, quickly he bent down and put the cool water to his lips. This was the type of the heathen who long for a drink of water—starving, dying, and not knowing the way.

In the other side of the vision, I saw a rich woman, lying on a very beautiful bed, with everything her heart could wish for. She was asking the servant to bring her something to eat. When the servant did, she minced over the food, picking at this and at that, but nothing pleased her.

This was the type of those who have had the gospel fixed up in every way possible, saying, “Fix it up a little better.” This was the type of those going to sleep on the job, letting the vision become nothing. Ah, on one hand, there are people waiting and starving for the water of life. And on the other hand, those at home are sick of the truths of God.

This is the condition today. This is our condition, if we are not moving on. We might sing and talk, but after a while, it will become an empty shell. It is not what we sing, or how much victory we can take in the assembly, or how we can rout the devil. But if our springs are in God, we will do His will. What flows in must flow out. If we have no outlet we will become stagnated.

We have opportunities to choose every day. Do we want to choose what God has given us? Our call is to the mission field, but what are we doing towards that end? Are we putting a little aside for a certain night, or are we choosing day by day that which will count?

I am not saying that nothing can be done this way. But I believe God will knit and draw us together and draw us nearer as we keep our eyes on the vision. As yet, we are still going on in our own sphere, doing our own business, yet doing a little for God, but it takes more than that.

It takes every bit of strength, energy; it will mean our springs must be in Him. If we think this is a once a month business, or just a missionary offering business, praying now and then for the field, we have missed it. And we will miss it altogether, if we are not careful. We will miss the plan of God, and end with the light turning into darkness, and how great is that darkness?

God help us to see what is required of us. It is not how we fit in the prayer battle, but the call is to the field. And the call is to what we are going to do to put into effect that call. If we say, “We have light, so we can tarry awhile,” then it will pass. And someone else will go, and they will have everything that we did not use. God help us to see these are our days of light.

It is not enough to come here, say “Amen”, nod our heads in approval. That will not pass. It means everything we have, and everything we have must be in it for life or for death, for better or for worse.

God has given this call to our assembly that we become missionary-minded. We are not working out what we can do for the field. God has opened a door, sent one forth from our midst who is well worth our prayers, our offerings, our sacrifice. God has done these things that could not have possibly been done except by His gracious will.

God is expecting us as we make our choices, to make them in Him. You might think it does not matter, but we will choose either for God or for the flesh. I pray tonight that our springs might be in the Lord. That our wills might be to do His will. That it might come from Him that we might drink of that spring.

The cup became bitter to Jesus. But He said, if it was not possible for it to go any other way, then He would drink of it.

God has given us water from His great eternal source. It has come down by the power of the Holy Spirit. We might think it is a means of moving to a different place, sacrificing, or it may mean bitterness. May we have those words of our Saviour, “If it is not possible for this cup to go any other way, then I will drink it.”

We must do what God has given us to do. I do not care what our answer will be. We might say it is agony, deprivation, suffering, sorrow, and things we would not have in this life, but it is worthwhile if one soul is saved. I believe in that way God will build us up and move us on.

We have a vision, but we are not working at it. He warns as we go to our little spheres, as we are narrowed down to our daily toils, these will never move us towards the plan of God. We are called to something better. These things must be. But yet, you can make in your heart daily decisions and choices. And when these times come that you can do something for the plan or purpose you are called to, you will make decisions then, and you will put your house in order.

The message will come one day, “Set you house in order”—it will be death. We might long then for the fields, then for the will of God, but it will have passed. Tonight, we have light yet. God is calling yet, to get in our places and work at it, and see how it will work out in our lives.

It will draw us together with one common purpose, one common desire, to see the will of God carried out for our lives and assembly. As we tend to God’s business, He will tend to ours. The question is, are we putting the King’s business first, or are we putting our business first? For the most part, we are putting our business first and God’s is coming last.

Tomorrow will come, and decision time will come. It will be an opportunity for you to say what you will do. It does not mean that everybody goes, or that everybody stays at home, or that everything is done like you would want it done. But it means making your choice for the will of God for your life and for the assembly.

He has given us His will. God help us that we might become an assembly that is knitted together. We talk of fitting in the body and that is all right, but we must do first things first, and as we set our faces individually and collectively, He will work in bringing souls in here and there.

May our springs be in Him. May we get our eyes off of things that would hinder our progress. May we look up to Him, and may we say, “All our springs are in Thee.” To most of us the will of God might cause sorrow and pain because it would mean suffering and deprivation, but Jesus knew that. Paul knew it would mean the loss of all things, but he did it that he might win Christ.

He is worthwhile, and His will is worthwhile. It is no light thing that He comes into our midst, and lets His blessing come. It is to encourage us that we can move on. He is here to help and to encourage.

May Christ be magnified in our bodies, in our lives by doing His will. He can be. As we see the butterfly changed from a caterpillar, so He will change us. We will not be changed as quickly perhaps. I do not know how long that takes, but I know the word of God says we can be changed from glory to glory.

Now we see through a glass darkly, but one time we shall see face to face. All veils will be torn aside. All shadows, all mysteries, all misunderstandings will be gone, and we will see Him as He is. But it will be to give an account for what we have done with the truths, what we have done towards His will which He has so wonderfully spoken to us.

How does our account stand with God? Are you filling up the suffering of Christ? Are you throwing yourself in the gap? Are we working towards that end that there will be a well in South America and in other mission lands?

God loves all lands, but God has especially opened this door to South America. He has told us, and made it plain that this was the door He wanted us to go in. God help us that our wills will be His will, that our springs might be in the holy mountain, that as it comes down, it will not become putrefied, soiled with our own ideas, until at last it will be a grimy business that repulses men and women. That is not what God started out to make it.

He is our source of supply of both natural and eternal life. He is our springs of eternal life. God grant that we move on in Him and say as Moses said, “Lord if your presence does not attend us, then there is no use going.”

After a while, we might say, “Let us all start, we have delayed long enough.” But if His presence is not with us, there is no use in going.

He still warns, exhorts, jogs our memories: “Don’t forget you vowed, you promised that you would go all the way through. That is what I require.” God help us as the tomorrows come. We have played and fooled with this thing until it has become something of lightness to us. We talk about it, but it does not reach the depths, it does not touch our hearts. The devil and the flesh does not want it to come to pass. May we announce to our flesh that it is going to be loosened.

As God said to Pharoah, “Let my people go,” may God help us to say to our flesh, “Let go, you cannot have your way.” We must tell our flesh that it must stand aside and the things we are so interested in. The things we count gain are going to be loss.

As we let our flesh know, it will cry out, “Don’t go too far now, you should worship here, for there is plenty of need here.” There is plenty of need, God knows it, and we know it, but God said, “Let my people go, they are going to serve me in the wilderness.”

I thought how our pilgrim fathers came here and how they had to hide from the Indians. It cost them their blood to settle this country. That was for something natural, but spiritually, too, for they wanted to worship God in a free way. It cost Jesus His blood and His soul. It will cost us, and it is expensive. It may and most likely will call for blood.

As the United States was established through those brave men and women, we have one of the most free and best countries, because some dared, risked their lives, suffered hardships in a country among hostile people. It cost, and it was expensive.

This sort of thing must come to us as an assembly. The enemy is going to try to scatter, hinder the work, and it might cost lives. But someone must pay the price. What are we going to do? Are we going to say, “I do not know how it is going to be done,” and go on as we are?

It means a cutting down, a loosening of our flesh. I praise God He can do it. He can tear down barriers. When the undertow of Hell comes in and hope wanes, God’s great breaker comes in and says, “It shall be done.” The flesh says it cannot be done. The devil says, “Never.”

But faith says, “It shall be done. By the help and grace of God, Colombia is going to be liberated.” What part will we have? We will never know until the Lord comes through clouds of glory with our rewards. He knows that—it is His business. But it is ours to do and dare. It is ours to fight the good fight of faith, to take the next move.

And your next move will be tonight or tomorrow. What are you going to do for the heathen? The same as before? You will never amount to anything for God, for you are called to a higher thing. If we do not, somebody else will. Somebody else is going through for Jesus Christ.

There are workers there—God grant they accomplish much. But God has called and opened the door to Colombia. It should be the center of our thoughts, our sacrifice—that our springs might be in Him, that His will might spring out of us. If it is bitter, it is best for us.

The waters were bitter as they came to Moses, but he asked God what to do to make them sweet. I heard from one in the foreign field, of how they came to waters that were bitter. They were suffering from fever. But one man drank, and it had quinine in it. And he was the only man who got over the fever.

I believe if Israel had drunk the bitter water, it would have been the best for them. But they wanted something sweet, and they did not pass the test.

How many times, when the water is bitter, we do not like it, but that is the best thing for us? That is the thing that God has ordered for us. If we smile, we can make it a well. God can work it out for our good.

As we look and see how we have failed on this missionary line, may we ask, “Can we go on like this? Are we going to keep on going our own way?”

God has put in His order. And may we, by His help and grace, come to a greater conclusion tonight that we will drink the cup, no matter what it costs. It may call for deprivation, it may call for your soul to be poured out, your blood. But it will be worthwhile.

Then, as we do all, our springs will be in Him, for we would not drink at another fountain if we could. If He gives us bitter, that is best for us. Amen.