There was once a little town sheltered in the protective heights of a mountain range. High up in the hills, a quiet forest dweller had taken it upon himself to be the Keeper of the Springs. He patrolled the hills and whenever he found a spring, he cleaned it of fallen leaves, mud, and mold so that the water which bubbled up ran down clean, cold, and pure. It flowed over rocks and dropped in crystal cascades until, swollen by other streams, it became a river of life to the busy town. Millwheels were whirled by its rushing stream. Gardens were refreshed by its waters. Swans sailed on its sparkling surface, and children laughed as they played on its banks in the sunshine.

The Town Council, a group of stubborn businessmen, scanned the civic budget and found in it the salary of a Keeper of the Springs. The Keeper of the Purse said, Why should we continue to pay someone we have never seen? It is unnecessary. Let us build a cement reservoir just above the town, we can dispense of his services and save his salary. And so they did.

The Keeper of the Springs watched from the heights while they built the reservoir, all the while neglecting the pools that had now turned brown. When it was finished and filled up, the water did not seem to be the same. It did not seem to be as clean, and a green scum soon covered its stagnant surface. The machinery of the mills often became clogged with slime. The swans left for a cleaner pond. And soon, sickness found its way into every home. Sorrowfully, the town council met again. In the face of their plight, they acknowledged the mistake of the dismissal of the Keeper of the Springs and sought him out to beg him to return to his former labor. Gladly he agreed, and began, once more, to make his rounds.

It was not long until pure water came flowing down�"sparkling in the cleansed reservoir. Millwheels turned freely again, sickness waned and convalescent children playing in the sun laughed again because the swans had come back.²

Are the springs of your heart so cluttered that they are making you spiritually sick? Today is a good day to make rounds and clean up those springs so that the living water of God can run freely, pure and clean, refreshing your soul.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, I have allowed worry, doubt, and stress and other sins into my life and it has become stagnant. Cleanse my heart so that the springs of my life run clean and pure, and so your love can flow freely, blessing all those around me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

1.    Psalm 51:1-2 (NIV).

2.    “The Keeper of the Springs” by Peter Marshall (paraphrased)

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.