The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.” “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. 2 Kings 2:19-22 NIV
Jericho was well situated, in other words, from all appearances, it should have been a thriving, productive town! Anyone passing by would have thought Jericho was a great place to live. But the people of Jericho had a problem and things were not as they appeared they should be; the spring that supplied the city with water was bad. Not only did it make the people sick, it ruined the crops they grew for food.
Our lives can be just like Jericho. There are times when we are “well-situated,” and should be thriving, but life isn’t turning out that way. Good situations and right circumstances don’t always result in healthy living. What matters most is the “spring” that supplies us with life.
We live in a land of scorched places; where people are thirsty for satisfaction but can’t seem to find it. We think we’ll find what we’re looking for in this world, in better relationships, more money, or more prominence. But even when we manage to obtain the things we think will bring us joy, we find them to be empty. You see real satisfaction, contentment and joy come from God. He is the only one who can fill the void in your life. He is the “spring.”
When I think of people who are “well situated,” David comes to mind. As king, David had the best this world could offer right at his finger tips; power, riches, servants, women, anything David desired was at his disposal. But what was David’s source of satisfaction?
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NIV
David had all this world could offer, but that wasn’t what David desired. Instead, he longed for God, because David knew that nothing else would satisfy the thirst within his soul. What about you? Are you satisfied, or is there something missing in your life? Perhaps you are drinking from the wrong spring.
Check out what Jesus said in John 4:14.
“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”