By The Creek
Creek
“The words spoken from Sinai, coming from the same Rock whence came the water which was the life of the people, showed the nature of the righteousness that Christ would impart to them. While it was "a fiery law," it was at the same time a gently-flowing stream of life.”
1900 EJW, EVCO 308
“That which we call nature is simply the ordinary working of God. The sunshine, the air, the dew and the rain, the great mountains, the broad ocean, the crystal springs, and the laughing mountain stream, all come from Him. They exist because of His word. When He spake, they immediately appeared, because they are all in His word. Therefore we may find all the benefit of them in His word.
Try it, and you will find that it is true. The words of the Lord are restful. They give peace. Without them, a person may fret himself into a fever on the coolest day, or in the deepest recesses of the mountains. With them in the heart, he may find the fever of his blood allayed even in the crowded city, on the hottest day. When you have learned that the words of the Lord are righteousness and life, and that we may drink them in as water, you can say with the psalmist:-
"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches. Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice." Ps. lxiii. 5-7.
August 24, 1893 EJW, PTUK 322
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“God deals with us as with children, and teaches us by object lessons. By the things that we can see, He teaches us the things that mortal eye cannot see. So in the water that flowed from the rock, and in the water and the blood, which flowed from the side of Christ, we learn the reality of the life that Christ gives those who believe on Him. Spiritual things are not imaginary, but real. The people in the desert could know that the water that refreshed their bodies came direct from Christ, and from that they could know that He can actually give life. They could not know how, but that was not necessary. It was sufficient for them to know the fact.
If we believe the Word, we may know that we drink as directly from Christ as did the Israelites in the wilderness. He made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. "In Him all things consist." The water, which we drink, coming forth from the ground, is as truly from Him as that which gushed from the rock in Horeb. "He layeth up the depth in storehouses." Ps. xxxiii. 7.
People speak of the water on the earth as a "natural product," almost with the thought that it is self-existent. The falling rain and the flowing spring are referred to "natural causes." Convenient terms are these to avoid giving God the glory. Stand by a stream of clear, sparkling water as it rushes on its way from its birthplace in the mountains. It is ever changing, yet ever the same. Unceasing in its flow, why does it not exhaust the supply? Is there a reservoir of infinite capacity in the heart of the earth, that enables the brook to "go on for ever," without ever diminishing the quantity. Is there not something marvelous about that constant flow? "Oh no," says the man who knows it all, "it is a very simple matter; the water on the earth's surface is drawn up to the clouds, and these give rain which keeps the supply constantly good." But who causes the rain? "The Lord is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King; . . . when He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth." Jeremiah 10:10-13. He is the "living God" and the operations of "nature" are but manifestations of His ceaseless activity.
No doubt the Israelites in the desert soon ceased to look upon the flow of water from the rock as miraculous. No doubt many of them never, even at the first, gave a single thought to it, save that it afforded a supply for their thirst. But as it flowed on year after year, and became a familiar thing, the wonder of it diminished, and at last ceased altogether. Children were born, to whom it was as though it always had been; to them it seemed but a product of "natural causes" as do the springs which we may now see coming from the earth; and so the Great Source was forgotten, even as He is now.
Be assured that those who credit everything to "Nature," and who do not acknowledge and glorify God as the immediate source of all earthly gifts, would do the same in heaven, if they were admitted to that place. To them the river of life eternally flowing from the throne of God, would be but "one of the phenomena of nature." They did not see it begin to flow and they would look upon it as a matter of course, and would not glorify God for it. The man, who does not recognize and acknowledge God in His works in this world, would be as unmindful of Him in the world to come. The praise to God that will come from the lips of the redeemed in eternity will be but the full chorus of the song whose first strains they practiced on earth.”
November 5, 1896 EJW, PTUK 707
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“God is infinite; "there is no searching of His understanding." Isa. xl. 28. Therefore His word is of infinite depth. Eternity will not be long enough to enable the keenest intellect or the most diligent student to exhaust the meaning of any one of the words of the Lord. Thus it is that we can always return to the same word, and find something fresh and new. It is a sun shining with never fading light; a fountain whose waters never fail. Therefore the one who comes into close acquaintance with the Word of God never tires of it any more than he tires of the light of the sun, the fresh beauty of nature, or the sparkling flow of the mountain stream.”
June 16, 1898 EJW, PTUK 369
“They shall be presented to Him "a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing," but "holy and without blame before Him."
Are you not glad that you may be one of this beautiful and glorious company, and live with Jesus for ever in the happy home that He has bought back for us? Drink every day of the cleansing, healing stream that flows from Him, the fountain of life, and this will make you His own child, a "partaker of the Divine nature."
November 30, 1899 EJW, PTUK 762
Flowing Stream
Among all these writings, the Psalms of David stand pre-eminent for their full and accurate delineation of the divine character and purposes, the depths of human depravity in contrast, their faithful record of Christian experience under many trying and afflictive dispensations of Providence, and the joyous language of the Christian, when walking in the light of the divine countenance. We here find the language of a heart supremely devoted to the service of Jehovah, in varied scenes of trouble and trial, joy and sorrow; which is designed to serve all succeeding generations of the people of God, as a correct standard by which they may judge of their character and attainments in the divine life. With what a keen relish does the Christian, in the exercise of gracious affections, partake of the spiritual food here provided! How readily does he perceive the breathings of his own soul to flow in with those of the pious Psalmist, in the most exalted expressions of praise and adoration of the divine character! The clause which stands at the head of this article, is one in which the writer has felt a peculiar interest. "All my springs are in Thee." In this passage David acknowledges God as the source from whence all his blessings, both of a spiritual and temporal nature, flow. When we stand upon the bank and view the rolling current of some broad, majestic river, we are naturally led to inquire, Whence come all these mighty waters, rushing with such resistless force to join "old ocean?" If we oppose its current, in search of its source, we witness with pleasure its numerous tributaries, flowing in to swell the principal stream; perceive that it gradually diminishes, till after we have traveled hundreds of miles, we find the broad, majestic river has now become the rivulet, whose silvery waters course silently down over their pebbly bed from the spring in the mountain side. As in the natural world, so in the moral we are prone to seek the source whence our blessings and enjoyments proceed. All mankind are seeking happiness with the earnest inquiry, "Who will show us any good?" Innumerable are the fountains, which are opened to meet this demand of our nature; but the great error of mankind since the fall consists in this - that they have chosen to draw from fountains, which cannot satisfy the soul. "They have forsaken the fountain of living waters," and hewn out to themselves "broken cisterns which can hold no water." We are all voluntary in the choice of our springs, and are therefore justified or condemned according to the nature of our choice. The Christian has chosen all his springs in God, far above the effects of sublunary change, beyond the reach of any opposing foe. Nothing can prevent the flow of living water into his soul, but a voluntary forsaking of the fountain. In saying that all the Christian's springs are in God, we do not mean to say that he has no earthly enjoyments. He enjoys all the real pleasures of earth, and they are pleasures to him because he considers them as the gifts of his heavenly Father, as well as a foretaste of heavenly joys. Mothers - ye who profess to be on the Lord's side, who have consecrated your children to God in baptism - where are your springs? Does an approving conscience prompt you to reply, They are all in God? Are you daily drawing abundant supplies from the Fountain of living waters, that your own souls may live, and that you may be well qualified for the arduous duties growing out of the interesting relation you sustain? Are you bringing all your energies to bear upon the one great point of influencing your children to come to Christ, and make choice of him as their portion and hope? - select
February 25, 1858 UrSe, ARSH 123
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
“He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Psalms 23