“Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.” Proverbs 5:15-18 NIV
As I write this devotion, I am reflecting on a busy week that has brought much joy to my heart. It was the week of our annual conference for the Illinois Assemblies of God and for three days I had the absolute joy of participating in worship led by four Bennett Family members. My oldest son and his wife, my daughter and my granddaughter who has yet to make her appearance in this world, but I still count her. I marvel at the blessing that was before my eyes and in my ears. It filled my heart to know that my wife and I had something very important to do with what we were experiencing. Sure, we were proud parents, but what I am overwhelmed with this morning is the love of Jesus that we all share. The desire to be in His presence and lead others to it. God’s grace has been so good to us, and I know it is only by His grace that I could sit here on my couch and write this devotion.
Proverbs 5 is an incredible teaching that every man who leads a family should read, study and apply. It is a warning but also a picture that is painted beautifully of a marriage that rejoices in what they have with one another and not distracted at what the world is trying to offer. But what I saw in this proverb was more than a warning. I saw the life-giving relationship that we can experience in Jesus. Just like I am to love and be faithful to the wife of my youth, I am also to be faithful to Jesus. But when you read this proverb, it is not just a discipline to understand and live out, but also a portrait of how close we are to be with Jesus.
Do you know how much Jesus wants to be with you? He will take the slightest piece of time we give Him and maximize it to the fullest because of His desire to meet with us. Imagine if our lives were dedicated to Him more than a smidgen. What could happen if we truly began to rejoice in the savior of our youth who lifted us out of sin and into life? What am I missing when I choose to chase the world and only give Jesus a nod? He is the well that will always satisfy. Can I truly believe that I can get satisfaction by another source?
What I experienced this week with my family was possible because today, over 30 years later by my side was the wife of my youth. She is the fountain in my life that makes my marriage what it is today and helped my children be who they are today. The world has tempted us, gotten us busy and preoccupied with wants, but through it all, it is by God’s grace we are together, enjoying the fruit of this moment. Now take this and apply it to Jesus. What is the enemy trying to steal from you as you are tempted to leave Jesus to go give your love to the world? What is at risk as you wander from the fold? Has your desire to be with and experience Jesus waned to the point where you have stopped drinking from the well, the fountain found in Jesus?
Jesus wants you to stay close, intimate with Him. His word is there not just to warn, but to be that love letter to you that says, “I am yours and you are mine!” His love is like a banner over us that declares His desire to meet with us, be present in us and lead our lives to be fruitful more than we could ask or imagine. Don’t let the world entice you to miss out on the blessing of promises God for you. Do not be intoxicated by the world, but instead be captivated by the love of Jesus. Just like this proverb instructs us to be enthralled with the spouse of our youth, so our love for Jesus is to be the same. Resist the world’s enticement and stay close to Jesus. The fruit will be amazing.