Compelling Love

God promises to be the fountain of living waters for all who come to Him. Jeremiah 17 speaks of God’s life-giving spirit abiding with those whose hope and trust are in Him.

Jeremiah 17 (NKJV)
⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

 In Jeremiah 2, God warns that trusting in false gods causes people to be cut off from Him, “the fountain of living waters”.

Jeremiah 2 (NKJV)
¹³ “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

In Psalm 91, God promises to deliver and honor those who set their love on Him, giving them long life and showing them His salvation:

Psalm 91(NKJV)
¹ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
…
¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

The word for salvation in Hebrew is “Yeshua”. Jesus (Yeshua) promises that those who come to him will receive “living water”, that will become in them “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life”.

John 4 (NKJV)
⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

⁹ Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

¹¹ The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? ¹² Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

In John 6:16-21, Jesus’ disciples were frightened when they saw him walking on the stormy sea and drawing near the boat. “But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” Psalm 77 contains a parallel prophetic description:

Psalm 77 (NKJV)
¹ I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
…
¹⁹ Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
²⁰ You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

In John 7, Jesus reveals the key to knowing if what he teaches is true: if anyone wills to do God’s will, he will know that what Jesus speaks is true.

John 7 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. ¹⁷ If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. ¹⁸ He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

Jesus promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who come to him and drink. “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” The Spirit was given with power after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father.

John 7 (NKJV)
³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Revelation 7 describes a great multitude of believers that will come out of the great tribulation and stand before the throne of God. Jesus, the Lamb of God, will shepherd them and lead them to “living fountains of waters”.

Revelation 7 (NKJV)
¹⁴ … So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. ¹⁶ They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ever continues to be the fountain of living waters, leading and empowering by his Spirit all who come to Him.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/