Sing About It!

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing about it.” — Numbers 21:17

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

The well in the wilderness at Beer was renowned due to the promise God gave there, for it was the well where the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather the people together and I will give them water’ (Numbers 21:16). The people needed water, and it was promised to them by their gracious God; we need fresh supplies of heavenly grace, which He pledged in His covenant to provide according to our need.

The well was the cause of their song. But it was before the water gushed forth that the people sang in joyful faith. Then as they saw the crystal water bubbling up, their song became more joyous. In the same way, we who believe God’s promises should rejoice at the prospect of divine revival in our soul, and as we experience it our holy joy should overflow. Are you spiritually thirsty? Don’t complain. Sing! Spiritual thirst is difficult to bear, but you don’t need to bear it, for God’s promise points to His well. So have a cheerful heart and look for it.

Also, the well was the focus of their prayer. “Spring up, O well!” What God has promised to give, you must ask from Him or else you reveal you have neither the desire nor the faith for it. Thus, ask Him today that the Scriptures you read, as well as these devotions, will not become an empty ritual, but a fountain of grace to your soul. Oh, that God the Holy Spirit would work in each of us with all His mighty power, filling us with all the fullness of God. Finally, the well was the aim of their effort.

The nobles [dug the well] with scepters and staffs (Numbers 2:18), just as the Lord would have us involved in obtaining grace. Our staff is ill equipped for digging a well, but we must learn to use it to the best of our ability. Doing so means prayer must not be neglected, “meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25) must not be forsaken, and God’s holy ordinances must not be forgotten. The Lord promises to give us His peace abundantly, but not through the path of idleness. So let us stir ourselves to seek Him in whom all our springs are found.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Spurgeon’s last sentence is a reference to the following:

All my springs are in you. — Psalm 87:7

Of course, water represents life, which is why we see so many references to it, including:

The poor and needy search for water, but there is none… But I the Lord will… make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. — Isaiah 41:17-18

and

They will neither hunger nor thirst… He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. — Isaiah 49:10

These passages find their fulfillment in Jesus, for later we read:

The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. — Revelation 7:17

which is why He had previously proclaimed:

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. — John 7:37-38

Jesus, I thirst for You, for

the Lord [is] the spring of living water. — Jeremiah 17:13

Excerpted with permission from Evening by Evening: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon by Jim Reimann, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Are you spiritually thirsty? Be reminded that it was before the Lord provided water that the people sang in joyful faith. That is the call of faith — to rejoice in God’s promises before He delivers. It is so much easier to grumble and complain, though! Today, let’s sing instead and see what happens! Come join the conversation on our blog. We want to hear from you about the faith required to sing in the face of desperate need for God to provide! ~ Devotionals Daily