The Everlasting Covenant

The Source of Water

Where does the water come from which we drink day by day?—“From the earth,” one will say. Very good; that is true; but does the earth itself produce it? Is there a reservoir of water in the interior of the earth, which replenishes itself and enables the brooks to “go on for ever”? Is there not something marvelous in the constant supply?—“Oh, no; the supply of water in the earth is kept constant by the rain that falls from heaven.” Yes, that is quite true, and very evident; but how does the water get into the skies?—“Oh, don’t you know that? It goes up from the earth in vapour, and is formed into clouds.” Just so; and that brings us to our first question. How does it get into the earth?—“Why, I just told you; it comes from the skies.” Ah, yes; quite so; it comes to the earth from the clouds, and the clouds receive it from the earth, in order that they may give it back to the earth; and so it goes on in a ceaseless round. But our question is still unanswered: Where does the water that we drink come from? Is it self-existent? EVCO 272.3

There is only one possible answer; we are shut up to the fact that it comes from God—from His throne. If we believe the Word, we may know that we drink as directly from Christ as did the Israelites in the wilderness. He made the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. “In Him all things consist.” ¹ The rain from heaven comes direct from Him. “The Lord is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King; ... when He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.” ² He is “the living God,” and the operations of “nature” are but manifestations of His ceaseless activity. The water which we drink, coming forth from the ground, is as truly from Him as was that which gushed from the rock in Horeb. “He layeth up the depth in storehouses.” ³ EVCO 273.1

David had mastered this fact of science, when he thus addressed the Lord, “Thou makest the outgoings of the morning to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water. Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided it.” ⁴ Those who receive the Word of God can in all these “bounties of nature” see the gift of the Spirit of God. EVCO 273.2