June 17
Promises Fulfilled
Then Israel sang this song: 'Spring up, O well! Sing to it!' - Numbers 21:17
This well was famous in the wilderness because it was the subject of a promise: "That is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, 'Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.'" The people needed water, and it was promised by their gracious God. We need fresh supplies of heavenly grace, and in the covenant the Lord has pledged Himself to give us all we require.
The well also became the cause of a song. Before the water gushed out, cheerful faith prompted the people to sing; and as they saw the crystal fountain bubbling up, the music grew more joyful. In similar fashion, we who believe the promise of God should rejoice in the prospect of divine revivals in our souls, and as we experience them our holy joy should overflow. Are we thirsting? Then let us not grumble but sing. Spiritual thirst is bitter to bear, but we need not bear it—the promise indicates a well; so let us be of good heart, and look for it.
Moreover, the well was the center of prayer. "Spring up, O well." What God has promised to give, we must seek after, or we show that we have neither desire nor faith. This evening let us ask that the Scripture we have read, and our devotional exercises, may not be an empty formality but a channel of grace to our souls. May God the Holy Spirit work in us with all His mighty power, filling us with all the fullness of God. Lastly, the well was the object of effort. "The nobles of the people delved, with the scepter and with their staffs." The Lord wants us to be active in obtaining grace. Our implements are ill suited for digging in the sand, but we must use them to the best of our ability. Prayer must not be neglected; the gathering of God's people must not be forsaken; ordinances must not be set aside. The Lord will give us His peace most generously, but not on the path of laziness. Let us, then, stir ourselves to seek Him in whom we find all our fresh and flowing springs.
Family Bible reading plan
verse 1 Isaiah 49
verse 2 Revelation 19
Held in Honor
Held in Honor is a rich collection of 50 insightful quotes on marriage, carefully selected from church history dating all the way back to the first century. Each quote is accompanied by a Scripture-based devotional designed to encourage married couples or couples contemplating marriage.
The historical quotations in Held in Honor provide a collection of wisdom from the ages. Although the union of a man and woman my look different in any given time or place, there are common challenges that transcend culture, age, ethnicity, and context. This devotional invites couples to the common experience by drawing upon wisdom from the past.
Held in Honor brings together voices from Ignatius of Antioch to Elisabeth Elliott to Charles Spurgeon. Regardless of where couples are in the journey of marriage, these insights from the past are designed to draw couples closer to God and to remind couples of the roles God intended for both husbands and wives. (Available in soft cover or as an e-book)
Click here to learn more about Truth For Life
From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
