“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” – Revelation 22:3-4
The late Peter Marshall, an eloquent speaker and for several years the chaplain of the United States Senate, used to love to tell the story of "The Keeper of the Springs," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.
“The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt from the fresh flow of water. By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque.
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? For all we know he is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer!" By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.
For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was detected. The millwheels moved slower, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Embarrassed, the council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the springs . . . and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up.”
What the keeper of the springs meant to the village, Christian servants mean to our world. We are to serve God and keep His springs alive.
Serving the Lord throughout eternity will be a constant joy. It will be an abundant life where we will feel honored and privileged to serve our great God. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for eternal life you have in Him and serve Him gladly all day long.
“My heaven is to please God and glorify him, and to give all to him, and to be wholly devoted to his glory; that is the heaven I long for.” – David Brainerd
God’s Word: “Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.’” – Revelation 7:15
A Few Clouds, 58°
