All Our Springs Are in You

By Dean Collins

How many times did God provide water for the Israelites while they were in the wilderness?

The answer? It is and it isn’t a trick question. We tend to think of the two incidents when Moses struck the rock and water came out. One time he did what God told him to do. The other time he got angry and struck the rock with his staff though God had told him to speak to the rock. 

The answer to the question above is easy when you remember that God is the source of everything we have. If you woke up today, then God gave you air to breathe. All of our blessings flow from the God of creation who loves us so much that he continues to pour out his love for us every day. So, God provided water for the Israelites all the time, every day, for 40 years. 

Remember during these 40 years of travel through the wilderness, the Israelites owned no land, had no cities, and lived on the food and water that God provided. In Numbers 21 we read:

“And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.” Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!— the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.”

In this passage we learn of a situation where God told Moses to gather the people to a well so he would provide water. And in the next sentence we see something worth noting. 

1) God provided water through a well, but in this case the people participated by digging the well. God always provides, but that doesn’t mean that we are to sit idle and wait. As followers of Jesus, we share in the process of bringing life to others through our love and acts of service in the kingdom of God.

2) The children of Israel sang with joy. As we receive God’s provision of grace, we also are called to sing songs of praise and worship to the source of our spiritual and physical blessings.

You may recall that years earlier, when God provided a path by dividing the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross and then had the waters crash over the Egyptian army, Moses wrote a song that the Israelites sang in Exodus 15. In Numbers 21, we see the next generation also singing songs of praise for God’s provision and continued deliverance as they neared the promised land.

In Psalm 87:7, the sons of Korah remind us that all of our blessings flow from the grace and provision of God. And in this case, the worshippers danced and sang, “All my springs are in you!”

So today, as you celebrate the goodness and provision of God’s goodness and grace, go ahead and tap your feet and sing out a praise to God.

Father, thank you for the reminders of scripture that tell us that you are the source of life. With our ancient ancestors we sing, “All our springs are in you!” In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Your Time with God’s Word
Numbers 21:16-18; Exodus 15:1-2; Psalm 87:7 ESV

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