Saturday, April 8, 2017

Earthly Versus Spiritual Joys





"Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again." - John 4:13

That is just as true of all earth's springs of joy as it was of Jacob's well. Men and women drink of them today and find a measure of satisfaction for a little time, but soon they are thirsty as ever again. 

The human soul cannot be satisfied with any of earth's good things. This is not the fault of the things of earth they are good and beautiful in their way and in their place. But the soul is spiritual and immortal, and cannot be filled with any good that is not also spiritual and immortal.

 Money and fame and power can never be food for a soul made in the Divine image; nothing less than God himself can answer its cravings. We could not make the angels happy by giving them gold and diamonds, and building them fine marble palaces to live in, and putting crowns and fine clothes on them. 

No more can we satisfy our own souls with such things. Men try to do so, but their thirst is only momentarily quenched, and soon they must drink again. Gratification only intensifies desire.

There is said to be a strange plant in South America which finds a moist place, and sends its roots down and becomes green for a little while, until the place becomes dry, when it draws itself out and rolls itself up and is blown along by the wind until it comes to another moist place, where it repeats the same process. 

On and on the plant goes, stopping wherever it finds a little water until the spot is dry; then in the end, after all its wanderings, it is nothing but a bundle of dry roots and leaves. It is the same with those who drink only of this world's springs. 

They drink and thirst again, and go on from spring to spring, blown by the winds of passion and desire, and at last their souls are nothing but handles of unsatisfied desires and burning thirsts. We must find something better than this, or perish forever. Yes o! Total surrender to the Lordship of CHRIST is it - especially over you health and wealth. May be difficult but not impossible!

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