“He who has access to the fountain does not go to the water-pot. ” — Leonardo da Vinci
The artist, architect, engineer, and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci, observed that it is far better to go directly to the source, rather than anything that is only a reflection, a remnant, a shadow, or a portion of the source. It is better to go to the powerful flowing fountain, rather than a small bowl containing a bit of water from the fountain.
How much more is that true when it comes to the things that bring life, love, joy and peace to our lives. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is the source of our eternal salvation, which is the source of life and life at its best. “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” (Hebrews 5:9, ESV) Yet, we often find ourselves looking for a happy life in places that, though seem appealing, never measure up to the fountain that is Jesus.
The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “God has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV84) At some level, deep in our being we have been created with this longing for love, joy, and peace, and we feel it in the desires of our hearts, the things we want and hope for. So, we pursue these desires in various places: a great meal with friends, a milestone accomplishment at work, creating things with our hands, a meaningful love relationship, travels to beautiful places, a moving worship experience, and more. All of these things give us a taste of the good life that we want because of what God has placed in our hearts to begin with. But, they never seem to live up to all we are longing for and we find ourselves wanting for more. They are but a shadow of the real thing. They are a small cup of water compared to the flowing fountain that is life in Jesus.
Today’s invitation is to go to the Source, Jesus, and find in Him all the life, joy, peace and love that you are looking for. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”” (John 7:37–38, NIV84) Through faith in Jesus, instead of admiring the fountain from a distance, or taking just small sips of it from a little cup, it will actually be flowing powerfully in you and through you.