The fountain of life

“For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:9
The phrase ‘fountain of life’ is found five times in the Old Testament: here, in Ps. 36:9, referring to God; in Prov. 10:11, likened to the mouth of the righteous (i.e. their words); in Prov. 13:14, likened to the teaching of the wise (as bringing good advice to help with life); in Prov. 14:27 the fear of the Lord; and in Prov. 16:22 understanding. There are similar phrases found in the New Testament. Jesus said in John 4:14, “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” And then in John 7:38-39, “‘Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” We also see the river of the water of life referred to in the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:6, 22:1, 22:17) and called a free gift.
A fountain is a beautiful thing to look at. The water bubbles out and over, creating a refreshing spray. It is continually flowing and has its own energy. This is the picture of the Holy Spirit, given to us by God. He is the one who energises us from within, and flows out through our life to refresh others. God is the source of life, both physical and spiritual. Life and light are intimately tied together, especially in the gospel of John (e.g. John 1:4 – “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”). In the New Jerusalem, God will be the source of light for the entire city and the earth (Rev. 21:23). Have you ‘seen the light’? Have you received ‘the fountain of life’?