June 11, 2024 -- Proverbs 4:23 -- Springs of Living Water flowing from your life
/Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23 ESV
Yesterday the study focused on the first line of this text: guarding one’s heart for Jesus as a prison guard watches over a prisoner who is an famous escape artist. Now the reason for this vigilance, which is what the second line focuses on, will be the focus of the study.
When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, John 4, He identified Himself as Living Water that wells up in the believer unto eternal life. In Isaiah 12, our new life in Christ is set to hymn as Isaiah noted: with joy we draw water from the well of salvation. This new life in Christ is joy, deep, true, abiding, untake-away-able gladness.
From the heart flows the spring of life—that is, the life of Jesus Christ flows from the heart of the believer. If a believer has allowed lust, hate, greed, anger, sloth, or gossip (or any other sin) to pollute his heart, then his testimony of Jesus is also contaminated.
From the heart flows the spring of life—when a believer confesses his sin to God and is freely forgiven, the result is a life that experiences Jesus’ healing. The springs of life are once again pure. Christian community is restored by forgiveness. So there is ever purer, deeper, truer community.
From the heart flows the spring of life—the Holy Spirit works in the life of a man who is yielded to Him. The Holy Spirit deepens the believers joy in Jesus, increases the flow of life from his heart so that many around him will know that Jesus is the source of this new life. A believer is attractive to the thirsty souls around him precisely because so many people have a thirst they can not satisfy in this world.
From the heart flows praise to the Father in heaven. When the life of a believer is pure, devoted to Jesus, and is continually filtered from sin by the work of the Holy Spirit then the believer’s fountain of life brings honour and praise and glory to God.
Father in heaven, thank You for slaking our thirst. Thank You for stopping our foolish efforts at trying to satisfy our longing with the dry sands of worldliness. Let our lives move at the impulses of Jesus’ love and by the power of the Spirit cause our life to be soul-winningly attractive to the people around us. Amen.
https://youtu.be/hVCki-lNWUc?si=AoIPaX_8jKHEHsPd “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water”
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