WELLS OF SALVATION
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 11-13
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Jacob’s Well, also known as Jacob’s Fountain or Well of Sychar, is a deep well hewn of solid rock. It is situated a short distance from the archaeological site of Tell Balata, which is thought to be the site of Biblical Shechem. It is quite certain that this is the well mentioned in John 4. Here Jesus gave water from the “Wells of Salvation” to the woman who had had 5 husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” The assurance of salvation should be for sure in everyone’s “Bucket list!”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Isaiah 11:2 & 12:5a
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
…Sing to the Lord for He has done excellent things!
Chapter 11 is a prophecy of the coming Messiah/Christ! He will be born from the line of Jesse, King David’s father. The work He does will be as a Man upon Whom the Spirit of the Lord rests! In His full authority, at a time yet to come, even the effects of the curse on the earth, with us since our first parents separated themselves from God, will be reversed.
Chapter 12 is a very big encouragement! Surely “He has done excellent things!” We have every reason to “Sing to the Lord!” Dip the bucket into the well and bring it up full and overflowing! Drink until we thirst no more for the things of this world which are opposed to God’s will for each one of us. In John 4:15 the woman said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
Chapter 13 sounds like the terrorists wars of our present times. It is impossible that sin and evil would go unpunished. For believers in the Cross of Jesus, His extremely violent suffering and death was in our place. We do not fear “The day of the Lord!” We rejoice in the fact of Messiah’s coming to make all wrongs right and to cleanse the earth of evil! For a New Testament reading check out Romans 8:18-25.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I drink deeply of Your Word. With joy I am drawing water from the wells of Salvation. My spiritual thirst is satisfied in You! I pray that I will dip the bucket of my life into You and Your Word each day without fail until the day when I drink from “the pure river of water of life, clear as crystal [literally], which flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1). I pray this in the Name of the One who cried out these words, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink,” Jesus Himself! (John 7:37-39) Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
My Dad, Rev. R. L. Mainse, took on responsibility for two country churches in the Ottawa Valley. I was ages 12-14 when we lived in the parsonage there. One of my jobs was to keep our home supplied with water from the well. I remember lowering my bucket down by a rope attached to the handle. Sometimes I would have to place a rock in the bucket so it would be heavy enough to break the ice formed overnight. Those chunks of ice that were floating in the pail made it taste delicious when I put the dipper in for a drink. This running for water (we had no running water and no electricity at first, so no refrigerator and no faucets) was like this blog…every morning and sometimes every evening! There were no excuses and no days off!
My cousin, Allan Kenny, who owns and operates a paint store with his wife in Gananoque, Ontario, attached a video of my Dad’s Sister, Allan’s grandmother, to his blog comment. My memories of her prayers are many. I believe she was born in 1890. Myrtle Mainse Kenny definitely drank from the wells of Salvation. Here she is praying out loud at a service in the “Pine Grove Church” in 1985 (click here). I’ve watched this several times, and each time I dipped into her bucket of faith and fervency for a refreshing drink. It tastes so good to me!!!
Yours for drinking daily of Jesus, the living water of life!
David
The “Woman at the Well” (John 4:1-42) is depicted on the ceiling of The Church of Jacob’s Well.
https://YouTube.be/MG4lUDLJ1gc
Thank You Lord. Blessings all.
I’m sorry that the message came up “not available” for this choir’s recording. There are many good references for it from other persons/groups. Sorry about that. (I think I‘ll play them all! This day is the anniversary of my husband’s passing – he’s at peace with the Lord. Praise God.
Just a few weeks ago was the first anniversary passing of a most humble pastor, close friend and mentor (Who also pastored in the Brighton,Ont area in the early 60’s).His widow still lives alone in their big old farm house.This was/is a very difficult Christmas for her.She knows how you feel,Doreen and you know how she feels.They were married 59 years.God bless
Thanks William. We were 57 years. Amazing that she lives in a farmhouse alone. God’s greatest blessings on her.
Thinking of you Doreen🤗
May God bless all.
Blessed: Blessings to you as well!!!
The ‘Christian nations today’ may not be far from a comparable time in our history as Israel was when,as a whole,it turned its back on God.The most ‘prosperous’ nations were the Christian nations but as they pushed God further and further away pagan deities and idols started filling the void.That’s because few,if any,Christians push back.One day there may be no one left to teach them,either through attrition or because of the rapture.Let’s hopr it’s the latter. May God bless
Idols
Woe to they who can’t foresee
Their path without the Almighty
When they choose to fall mightily,
Forsaking the gift of eternity,
For if only they could see
What their idols truly be,
Then repentance would be their decree;
But blind are the eyes ne’er free….
Until they have called out to Thee.
GW(Bill) Marshall (2015)
We can’t tell them to ‘repent’,etc when they don’t know the meaning of the word.They don’t speak ‘Christianese’.
The World Forgot
The world forgot what is right
For we were supposed to teach them,
By sharing with them the light
But we could not reach them.
Not long ago we ‘were’ them
Until we found the light He gives;
The One the world would condemn,
Then died to show He lives.
They don’t want to know our ways
For they think their ways suit them best,
But we know how it dismays
When one begins the quest.
We must begin to reach out
Or we may loose them all to sin,
So we must defeat the doubt,
To plant the seed within.
Using words at their command
Will allow His word to imbed,
Thus they can then understand
Why He rose from the dead.
GW(Bill) Marshall/26 July, 2015
(imbed and embed are both correct.)
Thank you Bill!!!
“We do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:18)
Looking at the beauty, the wonderful things, the loving and loved people in our lives can certainly give us a pang of sadness knowing all is fleeting. Yet there remains the maker and giver of all good things, the One who never lies, who told he has gone to prepare a place for us where there will be no more tears.
Father, I do not deserve Your mercy. I am a sinful man and well I know it. Please help me to turn away, to run from the sin that truly does so easily entangle. Without You, I am a dead man. I need You in my life every hour, every day. Help me drink deeply from what David calls the wells of salvation. Let those waters of Life fill me so I can truly sing, in this terrestrial life, “Running over, running over, my cup is full and running over. Since the Lord saved ne, I’m as happy as can be! My cup is full and running over.”
Not just me, but we need You. Help us to be those who not just partake of, but share Your goodness with others. In Jesus’s name, amen
Thank you Rob for your posting, running over brought back memories of when we sang that to the children in Sunday School. Even though things are tough, we still have so much to be thankful for. Praise God from whom All blessings flow.
Eleanor M.
Thinking of you, Doreen and praying God’s comfort for you. Was sorry to hear that you spent Christmas alone…..of course, the Lord was and is with you but we were created for relationship and need human interaction.
Wishing everyone a blessed day.