God says "I will, I will." part 2.

I will open rivers in high places

and fountains in th midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

and the dry lands springs of water"Issaiah c41v18

I was noticing that there are in our text four words relating to water. Everything had been dry before and there was no water for the thirsty to drink. Now here you have rivers, fountains, a pool and springs of water. There is a difference in the four words. The first is "rivers." God says "I will open rivers in high places." There shall come directly from God a rush of mighty grace, like the streams of flowing rivers. Your poor, dead, dry heart will suddenly feel that the waters of life have come directly from the throne of God to you. There shall be waters to swim in. You shall have an abundance where before you had nothing.

Next you have "fountains" which may be rendered "wells." Now wells are places that people regularly go to for water. They represent the means of grace. "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." Well now, perhaps you have been to the means of grace, and yet obtained no comfort. You have not blamed the preacher, but you have blamed yourself very much. But on a sudden, God appears, and opens wells in he midst of the valley. Now the service is full of refreshment. Now you are glad, and you no more go home saying "I thirsted, but I went to the house of The Lord in vain, for I recieved no comfort." See what God can do, He can make rivers of grace flow direct from His throne, and He can open wells in the customary use of the means of grace.

But then there is a third word, "I will make the wilderness a pool of water." Here you have the idea of overflowing abundance. God can give you so much joy that you will not know how to hold it all, you will have to let it be like a pool that overflows it's banks. God can give you so much earnestness that you can hardly employ it all in the work that you have to do. He can give you so much nearness to Himself that your heart shall scarcely be able to contain your delight. God promises to make the wilderness "a pool of water." He does not give us just a drop of grace now and then, but He fills up the dry places till they become standing pools.

The fourth word is "springs." It seems to indicate a perpetual freshness. Where there was a long-continued drought, there shall come perpetual freshness, always something new-new thoughts of Christ, new delights in holy service, new prospects of the world to come, new fellowship with God. He can make the dry land "springs of water." He has promised to do so, trust His gracious word, and it shall be fulfilled in your experience even now.

Rivers Of Life

"He that believeth on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Note the plentitude of it, the figure would have been a surprising one if it had said"a river" but it is not so; it says "rivers." Ah you say "I have not reached to that."A point has been reached when you know and regret and confess failure. If you had said "I have all things and abound" I would have had reason to suppose that you will never obtain the fulness of the blessing.
But if you know something of your failure, then the Lord can lead you forward. It may be that the spirit of life that comes forth of you is but a trickling brooklet, or even just a few tiny drops; be sure to confess that and you will be on the way to a fuller blessing.
What a word this is "rivers of living waters"! and see how spontaneous it is "out of the midst of him shall flow."no pumping is required, nothing is said about machinery and hydraulics, the man does not need exciting and stirring up, but just as he is, influence of the best kind just flows out of him.
Did you ever hear a great hubbub in the morning, a great outcry, with trumpets and drums? and you ask "what is it?" and a voice replied "the sun is about to rise, and he is making a great noise about it so that we will be aware of it" no, no, he just shines.
Even so the genuine christian just goes about flooding the world with blessing, and far from claiming attention for himself it may be that he is unconscious of what he is effecting. God so blesses him that his leaf does not wither and whatsoever he doeth it prospers, for he is like a tree planted planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth it's fruit in it's season.His verdure and his fruit are the natural outcome of his vigorous spiritual life. Oh the blessed spontaneity of the work of grace when a man or a woman gets into the fulness of it, they seem to eat and drink and sleep eternal life, and they spread the savour of salvation all around. And this is to be perpetual, not intermittent springs which burst forth and flow in torrents then cease,
every day, in summer in winter by day by night, wherever they are they are a blessing.
I hope I hear many sighs, I hope I hear friends saying "oh I wish that I could get to that."
I want you to attain the fulness of the favour. I pray that we may all get it.

BROAD RIVERS AND STREAMS

Broad rivers and streams produce fertility and abundace in the land. Places near broad rivers are remarkable for the variety of their plants and their plentiful harvests.
God is all this to His church, having God she has abundance what will He not give her or what will He not provide that she may ask of Him? "In this mountain shall The Lord of hosts make unto all the people a feast of fat things."
Do you want the Bread of life? it falls like manna from the sky, do you want refreshing streams? The Rock follows you where-ever you go, and that Rock is Christ. If you suffer want it is your own fault; if you are straitened you are not straitened in Him but in your own bowels.
Broad rivers and streams also point to commerce, our wonderful Lord
is to us a place of heavenly merchandise. Through the Redeemer we have commerce with the past, the wealth of Calvary, the treasures of the covenant, the riches of the Ancient of days and election, the stores of eternity past all come to us down the broad stream of our gracious Lord.
We have commerce with the future too. What treasure ships laden with booty come to us from the millennium! what visions of heaven on earth during our Lord's reign in that day.
Through Jesus we have commerce with angels, with blood-bought saints who have gone before us to see The King in His beauty and to worship Him hallelujah, better still we have Him whom our souls love even Jesus our Lord. Broad rivers and streams are especially intended to set forth the idea of security. Rivers were in olden times a defence. Oh beloved what a defence is God to His people! The devil cannot cross the broad river of God, how he wishes he could turn the current but God abideth unchanging and unchangable forever. Satan may fret us but he cannot destroy us. No galley with oars shall invade our river, neither shall warship pass there-by.