Psalm 36:9 - The Fountain Of Life and Light.
Psalm 36:9 - The Fountain Of Life and Light.
Psalm 36:9 (NLT) For you are the fountain of life, the light by
which we see.
Psalm 36:9 (TLB) For you are the Fountain of life; our light is
from your light.
WORD STUDY
The fountain of life. Life literally and spiritually; life here
and hereafter. God is the source not only of life but of all that
gives life meaning. [SDA Bible Commentary]
"Fountain of life" is a vivid image of fresh, cleansing water
that gives life to the spiritually thirsty. This same picture is used
in Jeremiah 2:13, where God is called the "fountain of living
water." Jesus spoke of himself as living water that could quench thirst
forever and give eternal life (John 4:14). [Life Application SB]
In thy light. As God is the source of light, only in Him can we
see light. Apart from God, all our understanding is only darkness.
Our prayer should be: "What in me is dark, illumine" (Milton). [SDA
Bible Commentary]
In His light shall we see light, until mind and heart and soul
are transformed into the image of His holiness. For those who thus
lay hold of the divine assurances of God's word, there are wonderful
possibilities. Before them lie vast fields of truth, vast resources of power.
Glorious things are to be revealed. Privileges and duties which they do
not even suspect to be in the Bible will be made manifest. All who
walk in the path of humble obedience, fulfilling His purpose, will
know more and more of the oracles of God. {MH 465}
COMMENTARY
God not only has life, He is its source (see John 4:7-15). God
is also the source of light (see 1 John 1:5-7; 2:8-11). [Passages
Of Life SB]
God offers the only real life there is. When we give ourselves
to Him and walk in the light He provides us, in His Word and by His
Spirit, we begin to see more and more how we can enjoy life to the
fullest. [Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley]
When Jesus came to a world that was in bondage to darkness
and dead in its sin, He came as light and life. His light dispelled
sin's darkness wherever He went, for the forces of evil could not
withstand Him. The life He brought was abundant and free, available to all
who were dead in their sin. (Eph 2:1; John 10:10).
If you are a Christian, Jesus lives in you, and His light is
within you. Christians are called to dispel darkness (Eph 5:11). The
light of Christ ought to shine so brightly through you that those
practicing darkness are uncomfortable when they are around you. The light
within you should dispel darkness from the lives of your friends,
coworkers, and family members.
The fullness of life found in Christ dwells within you as a
Christian (Col 1:27). The life that Jesus offers is available to others
through you. Don't discount what you have to give to those who are
hurting. Christ's life within you is more than sufficient to meet every
human need. When people encounter you, they encounter Christ within
you. You do not know all the answers, but you have Someone within you
who does! You will not carry the burden of the needs of others.
Christ will. Be aware that just as many resisted Jesus, so there will
be those who resist the truth that you offer (John 1:11). Be
thankful, however, that God chooses to express Himself through you, giving
light and life to those around you. [Experiencing God Day by Day by
Henry and Richard Blackaby re John 1:4]
"With Thee Is The Fountain Of Life." - Psalm 36:9
There are times in our spiritual experience when human
counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help
us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we
have been living too much without him, and he therefore takes away
everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that he may
drive us to himself. It is a blessed thing to live at the fountain
head. While our skin- bottles are full, we are content, like Hagar and
Ishmael, to go into the wilderness; but when those are dry, nothing will
serve us but "Thou God seest me." We are like the prodigal, we love
the swine-troughs and forget our Father's house. Remember, we can
make swine-troughs and husks even out of the forms of religion; they
are blessed things, but we may put them in God's place, and then
they are of no value. Anything becomes an idol when it keeps us away
from God: even the brazen serpent is to be despised as "Nehushtan,"
if we worship it instead of God. The prodigal was never safer than
when he was driven to his father's bosom, because he could find
sustenance nowhere else. Our Lord favours us with a famine in the land that
it may make us seek after himself the more. The best position for a
Christian is living wholly and directly on God's grace-still abiding where
he stood at first-"Having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our
sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that
because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we
are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but
resting upon the merits of Jesus-his passion and holy life furnish us
with the only sure ground of confidence. Beloved, when we are brought
to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of
life with eagerness. [Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]
"In Thy Light Shall We See Light." - Psalm 36:9
No lips can tell the love of Christ to the heart till Jesus
himself shall speak within. Descriptions all fall flat and tame unless
the Holy Ghost fills them with life and power; till our Immanuel
reveals himself within, the soul sees him not. If you would see the sun,
would you gather together the common means of illumination, and seek
in that way to behold the orb of day? No, the wise man knoweth that
the sun must reveal itself, and only by its own blaze can that
mighty lamp be seen. It is so with Christ. "Blessed art thou, Simon
Bar-jona:" said he to Peter, "for flesh and blood hath not revealed this
unto thee." Purify flesh and blood by any educational process you may
select, elevate mental faculties to the highest degree of intellectual
power, yet none of these can reveal Christ. The Spirit of God must come
with power, and overshadow the man with his wings, and then in that
mystic holy of holies the Lord Jesus must display himself to the
sanctified eye, as he doth not unto the purblind sons of men. Christ must
be his own mirror. The great mass of this blear-eyed world can see
nothing of the ineffable glories of Immanuel. He stands before them
without form or comeliness, a root out of a dry ground, rejected by the
vain and despised by the proud. Only where the Spirit has touched the
eye with eye-salve, quickened the heart with divine life, and
educated the soul to a heavenly taste, only there is he understood. "To
you that believe he is precious"; to you he is the chief
corner-stone, the Rock of your salvation, your all in all; but to others he is
"a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." Happy are those to
whom our Lord manifests himself, for his promise to such is that he
will make his abode with them. O Jesus, our Lord, our heart is open,
come in, and go out no more for ever. Show thyself to us now! Favour
us with a glimpse of thine all-conquering charms. [Morning and
Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]
God expressed his great desire to be with the Israelites by
bringing them out of Egypt. He wanted to live among them and protect
them. Throughout the Bible, God shows that he is not uninvolved or
disinterested. He didn't create the world and then sit back and watch it spin.
God wants to live among his people today. Instead of bringing
you out of Egypt though, "he called you out of the darkness into his
wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
God was so determined to be with his people that he finally
became one of them. Jesus came into the world so that the world could
know him. "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a
light has shined" (Matthew 4:16). Jesus' "life brought light to
everyone" (John 1:4). Unfortunately, "the world didn't recognize him. He
came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who
believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of
God" (John 1:10-12).
God desires to be part of your life. Let his light shine into
your life through his Word. [One Year NLT SB re Exo. 29:45-46]
If your heart's lacking joy today, drink deeply from God's
promise (see Psalm 37:4). Just knowing that He holds our lives in the
palm of His hand is reason enough to rejoice--no matter what the day
might bring. Thank Him for His mercy and His everlasting goodness.
Nothing else in the world can bring joy into our lives like He can. [The
365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re v. 8]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
I am preparing you for what is on the road ahead, just around
the bend. Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can
strengthen you. The busier you become, the more you need this time apart
with Me. So many people think that time spent with Me is a luxury
they cannot afford. As a result, they live and work in their own
strength - until that becomes depleted. Then they either cry out to Me
for help or turn away in bitterness.
How much better it is to walk close to Me, depending on My
strength and trusting Me in every situation. If you live in this way, you
will do less but accomplish far more. Your unhurried pace of living
will stand out in this rush-crazed age. Some people may deem you
lazy, but many more will be blessed by your peacefulness. Walk in the
Light with Me, and you will reflect Me to the watching world. (Isa.
64:4; John 15:5; Psa. 36:9) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
I am a God of both intricate detail and overflowing
abundance. When you entrust the details of your life to Me, you are
surprised by how thoroughly I answer your petitions. I take pleasure in
hearing your prayers, so feel free to bring Me all your requests. The
more you pray, the more answers you can receive. Best of all, your
faith is strengthened as you see how precisely I respond to your
specific prayers.
Because I am infinite in all My ways, you need not fear that
I will run out of resources. Abundance is at the very, heart of
who I AM. Come to Me in joyful expectation of receiving all you need
- and sometimes much more! I delight in showering blessings on My
beloved children. Come to Me with open hands and heart, ready to receive
all I have for you. (Psa. 36:7-9; 132:15; Joh. 6:12, 13) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
I am working on your behalf. Bring Me all your concerns,
including your dreams. Talk with Me about everything, letting the Light of
My Presence shine on your hopes and plans. Spend time allowing My
Light to infuse your dreams with life, gradually transforming them
into reality. This is a very practical way of collaborating with Me.
I, the Creator of the universe, have deigned to co-create with you.
Do not try to hurry this process. If you want to work with Me, you
have to accept My time frame. Hurry is not in My nature. Abraham and
Sarah had to wait many years for the fulfillment of My promise, a son.
How their long wait intensified their enjoyment of this child! Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, perceiving as real fact what
is not revealed to the senses. (Psa. 36:9; Gen. 21:1-7; Heb. 11:1)
[Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
GREAT PRAISE SONG
Oh, My, Glory, Glory, Glory [Live] by The Gaithers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l5_HQFpYjE
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Seeking God Video Clip: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice
