As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.” Psalm 87:7

“Come thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise, Teach me some melodious measure, Sung by flaming tongues above. O the vast, the boundless treasure, Of my Lord’s unchanging love”. Robert Robinson (1755-90)

Have you ever experienced a very hot day and went to a fountain? Watching and/or playing in the waters of the fountains as they leap in the air, cooling down the place ? Some years ago my family went on vacation and discovered a street water fountain where the children could run into and have fun. It was a delightful sight to watch children playing in the water on a hot summer day as they found refreshment.

For today’s reflection, I did a little check on the history of fountains and found some interesting facts. Fountains were originally used for drinking and religious, ceremonial purposes as well as for branding decorations. Over time they became symbols of wealth and power. Today, fountains are used for decorations, branding, refreshment and entertainment for people across the world to find peace and refreshment. An interesting tidbit was that fountains used in the Roman era were sourced from an elaborate system of aqueducts and Rome at one point was even nicknamed the “city of fountains”.

Just as there are physical fountains, there are spiritual fountains. Today we are focusing on the ultimate fountain: the Fount of every Blessing: Almighty God, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit whose as source cannot be depleted. In the verse above, the psalmists were about to make music and sing. In everyday life, they would have known how important fountains were. This was the foundation to their song lyrics “all my fountains are in you”. Let us explore this

Firstly, using the analogy of all my fountains are in you, they affirmed that God was the source of their living water. He was everything they needed for life and godliness. In other words, God was their all in all. Notice the line of the hymn O the vast, the boundless treasure, Of my Lord’s unchanging love” tells us God is never ending. What about us? Where is our source? Are we experiencing dryness not realizing that all other fountains are nothing unless they are in God? Sometimes we get caught up with our own branding: how attractive we are, our wealth or lack of it, our power or lack of it, our refreshment or entertainment value and end up neglecting the source of our existence and living – God. Neglecting our source of life can put us in a precarious position. As said in Jeremiah 17:13 “O Lord, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord”. God wants us to return to him for revival. As Jesus says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” In other words, God wants us to know that he is our source: everything we are and everything we need comes from him. He is our living water that refreshes us like playing in fountains on a hot, summer day.

Secondly, these musicians were not regular musicians. They were worship leaders of Almighty God, ordained to constantly give praise to God and lead others in worship. Their job was through music to enrich the souls of others as they communed with God. In making music and singing to God – God uses the music to tune or adjust receptive hearts to hear him and his will at the correct pitch or frequency. Having been adjusted our hearts will enable us to sing of his unending grace, his undeserved favour as we overflow like fountains to all Creation. God as the Fount of every blessing wants to bless his people with every blessing needed. It does not matter if you can sing well or play an instrument, God wants us to make music in our hearts (Eph.5:19) as we offer up ourselves to him. When we make music to him, he will give us new songs to bless others.

Are you going through a particular dry, waterless period’? Are you like Job saying “Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night“? I invite you to come to the Fount of every blessing and drink until you are satisfied. Jesus said in John 4:14 “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst: for the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a fountain springing up to everlasting life”. God wants to activate his vast boundless Fountain treasure in us and put new adoring songs in our mouths forever. So come today to the Fount of every Blessing and thirst no more.

Father we are dry fountains and so we come to you our source for restoration and renewal. Flow in us and transform us by your Holy Spirit so that your never ceasing streams of mercy can revive Creation. In Jesus name Amen.