Drawing Joy from the Well of Salvation
Isaiah 12:3 talks about the joy of drawing water from the wells of salvation. What are we saved from which gives us such joy? Jesus has saved us from sin, giving us a relationship with God.
Philippians 4: 4-8 tells us what we have due to our salvation. What is it we can rejoice in the Lord always about? One: the Lord is near to us. Two: we can take our worries and requests to God in prayer. From this will come three: the peace of God which will guard our hearts and minds from worry and fear.
By drawing into the well of salvation we can receive God’s strength. Strength is from a Greek word used for security, power, and boldness. I would add confidence - the confidence that the Lord is near you, hearing your prayers, and granting you peace.
Another gift of salvation is the power of the Holy Spirit. We can draw on the Spirit’s power to be gentle to others or as the New American Standard version puts it - having a forbearing spirit. The Greek word for gentle here speaks of patience with one another.
The Spirit can protect our minds from unhealthy thoughts and our hearts from unhealthy desires. We are told in Philippians 4: 8 to think about whatever is true, honorable, and pleasing. Our thoughts need to be about what is excellent and worthy of praise. The Spirit gives us the strength and power to do so, giving us the peace of God that will guard our thoughts and desires.
May we dig deep into the well of salvation to refresh our weary souls, and find strength to think and long for things worthy of praise. When we pray for this and our other needs, let us not forget to thank the Lord for all these blessings of salvation - that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
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