Proverbs 15:2
Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was a little girl, we used go to a place west of town called Stacy Springs. Today a house sits where there once was an open pavilion. Groups from area clubs and churches would gather there for picnics. It’s not far above the “Big Dike” area on Greers Ferry Lake. We would hike away from the pavilion a few yards to a natural spring that bubbled from the ground. The clean water seemed to magically gurgle from the ground in a gentle, steady flow.
Years ago, people often depended on springs like this one for a clean water supply. My great-grandmother and her family lived near more than one fresh-water spring. They trusted the cool, clear water to be pure and safe.
I recently watched a “House and Garden” show where a family was renovating their basement, and they discovered dirty, moldy water damage caused by a leaky pipe upstairs. The water had seeped down the wall, through the floor and created a murky mess on the ground level… compromising that surface and rendering it unsafe.
If you stop and think about it, we all know people who are like a freshwater spring. They seem to be a steady source of wisdom… trustworthy and dependable for information and advice that is sound and true. We also know people who are like the leaky pipe or faucet. They always have an opinion – and are glad to share it – but mostly spew hearsay, unkindness, or unsubstantiated viewpoints. It doesn’t necessarily take a rocket scientist to discern which is which… but we do have to stay on our toes.
How do you know what you are seeing and hearing is truthful? How do you figure it all out? What if someone is telling you that his/her way is accurate, because “I am a Christian, and God has told me this”? My simplest answer is, “Ask God for yourself!” Do some digging. Get the facts. See if what this person is saying really lines up with the word of God. Ask God if what is being said makes sense, is loving and kind - and honors His word and His will.
God wants us to always operate in the truth. He gave us a brain… and a direct line of communication to Him. He expects us to use both! Don’t believe everything you see and hear… not even from those who claim to be Christians. Do your own investigating and discover whether what you are ingesting is clean, pure “spring water,” or the rotten murky nonsense from a “leaky faucet.” Learn to tell the difference… God is waiting to show you how!
©2012 Debbie Robus
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