Drawn from Emmanuel's Springs.

Michael E. Wood

July 17, 2015

 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,    Colossians 1:3-6

 … whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”   John 4:14

One of the amazing things about the grace of God is that it never ceases to be amazing. Once we have been made anew by the Spirit through the sacrifice of Christ, our transcendent, triune God uses His written Word through the various means of grace which includes preaching, teaching and reading to refresh us with the living waters of the Holy Spirit dwelling within. We are stirred with love both for Him and the brethren, being made to know what that looks like on a practical level with the continued amazement of His grace to the praise of His glory.

We thank You for the power

Of Your Word to stir afresh

Our souls to see the grace

By which You do as one enmesh

Our lives together for the praise

Of Your own glory there

In heaven as on earth You work

Your will in all who share

The nature You have given when

You called us forth to birth.

The new creation joined by Christ

To magnify Your worth.

And as You by Your Spirit

More Your mysteries unfold,

Oh, help us to proclaim the truth

In love and yet as bold

Ambassadors of life and light

Which Your salvation brings

Oh, Father God, through songs of praise

Drawn from Emmanuel's springs.