Just as water is essential for our physical life, Jeremiah points to the Lord as the Essential Source of our Spiritual Life. The prophet contrasts trusting the Lord with the folly of turning away from the Lord or putting any confidence in the flesh: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” (vs. 5). Why would anyone even be tempted to look elsewhere for prosperity and blessing? The problem is that our “heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (vs. 9). Jeremiah uses the analogy of a fountain to bring to our minds various aspects of how the Lord must be looked to as the source of spiritual life. Christ’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 brings out many of these same elements as He testifies:
“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
BIG IDEA:
SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOURCE OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE – DESCRIBED AS A FOUNTAIN
I. AUTHENTIC SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Genuine; exclusive; unique
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
II. AVAILABLE (ACCESSIBLE) SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
We are commanded to come to the waters and freely drink
John 4:10 “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.”
III. ACTIVE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Produces spiritual life and vitality
John 4:42 “This One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
IV. ABUNDANT SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
No limit to its provision or to its depth or fullness
More than merely adequate or sufficient
V. ABIDING SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Continuing, enduring, permanent
John 4:14 “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
VI. AWESOME SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Should evoke our worship and praise
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”
CONCLUSION:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit . . ”
John 7:37-39