THE BLESSING OF THE NETHER SPRINGS

In the claiming of the land of Canaan, Caleb had promised his daughter Achsah as wife to the one who conquered Kirjathsepher. His nephew Othniel accomplished this task, and in the sealing of this bond, Achsah encouraged him to ask her father for a piece of ground. When he did, she came to her father, who then asked, “What wouldest thou?” She replied, “Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a southland; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.” (Joshua 15:19)

Mrs. Charles Cowman, in her devotional book, "Streams in the Desert", speaks of the nether springs as those that flow from the depths of sorrow, in the hard places, in the desert places, in the lone places, in the common places which seem farthest from all that is sacred and Divine.

As I studied on this and the passage speaking of the taking of the land of promise, I began to realize how true it is that through all the days of our journey with its ups and downs, daily portions of experience that run the gamet of emotions that tug upon our lives, our parched and thirsty souls are quenched from such “nether” springs and we are revived and renewed, even in the most desolate of places and the driest of spaces. The truth is that our thirst is quenched in the heights of joy and days of plenty, but that quenching is taken for granted as that which is due us. We daily bathe in such gracious provision, often wasting more than we ever need for maintenance. It is only as we trek down into the valley paths that lead through dry places of life that we appreciate even the smallest drops of water to give our tongues relief. How sad it is that such is required to remind us of our daily blessings from the source of all “springs”, both in the heights and in the depths. Oh, soul, count it all joy and remember the Springmaker, our Lord, Who is the Source of all.

God created the resource before there was need,
And gives us direction for its use we must heed.

When daily we journey on life’s purposed track,
We’re given such resource of which there’s no lack.

We’re blessed by the springs that flow from the hills,
And from such abundance o’er our lives daily spills.

But travel is not always found on plateaus,
For often we find ourselves midst desert throes.

Here where the springs don’t flow so ready at hand,
Their provision’s from “nether”, down under the land.

How sad in our journey through abundance above,
We don’t praise the Lord for such provision of love.

It’s only when thirst is quenched from “nether” places,
That our voices seem loudest to give our Lord praises.

May we be reminded that each day’s provision,
Comes from the same Lord giving our path its mission.
-Jim Bryant, 1/1/07

In context with the nether springs, here's another promise of applied truth for those who dare to claim it. How sad that many do not cross from the wilderness to do so.
Scripture: Deut. 8:7-10 “For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.”

Dear brothers and sisters who seek in the midst of the desert places of life, that to quench your thirst, be encouraged, for the Lord has also given you the nether springs.