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Morning and Evening

June 17, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it." — Numbers 21:17 · KJV

Famous was the well of Beer in the wilderness, because it was the subject of a promise: "That is the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water." The people needed water, and it was promised by their gracious God. We need fresh supplies of heavenly grace, and in the covenant the Lord has pledged Himself to give all we require. The well next became the occasion of a song. Before the water gushed out, cheerful faith prompted the people to sing, and as they saw the crystal fountain bubbling up, the music grew still more joyful. In the same way, we who believe the promise of God should rejoice at the prospect of divine renewal in our souls, and as we experience it, our holy joy should overflow. Are we thirsting? Let us not murmur, but sing. Spiritual thirst is bitter to bear, but we need not bear it—the promise points to a well; let us take heart and look for it. Moreover, the well was the center of prayer: "Spring up, O well." What God has pledged to give, we must ask after, or we show that we have neither desire nor faith. This evening let us ask that the Scripture we have read and our devotions may not be an empty formality but a channel of grace to our souls. Oh, that God the Holy Spirit would work in us with all His mighty power, filling us with all the fullness of God! Finally, the well was the object of effort: "The nobles of the people digged it with their staves." The Lord would have us active in obtaining grace. Our staffs are poorly suited for digging in the sand, but we must use them to the utmost of our ability. Prayer must not be neglected, the gathering of ourselves together must not be forsaken, the means of grace must not be slighted. The Lord will give us His peace most abundantly, but not by way of idleness. Let us bestir ourselves, then, to seek Him in whom are all our fresh springs.