Water,—what is it? Where does it all come from? Where does it all go to? Did you ever wonder, as you watched the rain pouring down upon the earth, and in a few hours perhaps could not find a trace of it anywhere?

Water is the life-blood of the world. Without it there could be no life at all upon the earth. You know that the blood is the life of your body, but it is not enough for you to have blood in you; it must flow all through you, to keep your body pure and healthy, and carry food and life to every part of it. And so we have what is called the “circulation of the blood” through the body.

And there is also a circulation of the water all over the world; it is through this that life and blessing are carried to every part of it, and to all things that are upon it.

You have already learned a little about the vapours, how by His power in the sun God is drawing up into the air the water from the seas, lakes, and rivers, and all over the surface of the earth. This is God’s way of “distilling,” or purifying the water, for no matter how dirty and muddy may be the place from which it comes, all its impurity is left behind, and that which is drawn up into the clouds is perfectly pure.

But the cloud does not keep this moisture for itself; it receives and holds it only that it may carry it to the place where it is needed and pour it out in showers of blessing. See how God, who works through the sun to draw up the water, is working through the clouds to give it in blessing to the earth.

“He leadeth the thick cloud with moisture,
And spreadeth abroad the cloud of His light:
And it is turned round about by His guidance,
That they may do whatsoever He commandeth them
Upon the face of the habitable world.”

Guided by the hand of God the clouds are carried to the place where He wants them, and then “He saith to the snow, and likewise to the rain,” “Be thou on the earth!” And so “the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud.”

As the rain falls through the air it washes out its impurities, taking with it some of the little particles of dust and other substances, and also some of the poisonous gas which is in the air. These things are not good for us to breathe, but they are needed by the plants, to which they are carried by the rain.

When the air is so cold that the water freezes as it falls, and comes to the earth in the form of snow, it makes a warm covering for the ground which keeps the earth from freezing and protects the plants and keeps them alive until the warm sun melts the snow which is no longer needed to keep the earth warm.

Now let us see what becomes of the rain and snow that fall, and how they continue their work of carrying blessing and life. The earth does not keep the rain that falls upon it to itself any more than the clouds do.

Some of the rain runs into the soil, and gathers up the food that the plants need and carries it to their roots, which suck it up in the water. Then they give out the blessings that they have received, in fresh green leaves, beautiful blossoms, sweet fragrance, and life-giving grains and fruits.

Some of the rain runs off the surface of the ground and forms brooks which swell, as they are fed by other streams, into great rivers which water the land through which they flow, give drink to man and beast, and are a blessing in many other ways.

The rest of the rain runs down deep into the earth until it comes to rock or some substance through which it cannot pass. Then it flows along underground until it comes to an opening, and gushes out, a living spring. The hand which guides the clouds also

“Sendeth forth springs into the valleys;
They run among the hills;
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild asses quench their thirst.
By them the fowl of the heaven have their habitation,
They sing among the branches.”

Truly “the Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”

But the water that gushes out of the springs is not the same pure soft water that fell upon the earth. In its journey through the earth and among the rocks it has gathered a quantity of chalk, lime, and other minerals, which it carries with it as it flows into the rivers, and it is thus swept into the sea. These salts and different minerals are needed by the animals which live in the sea, for food to make their bones and hard shells.

So the water that the sea gives up in vapours to carry blessing to the world, returns to it at last bringing a blessing.

Now I am sure that you have already thought of one great lesson that God is teaching us by all this. Read the poem on the next page called “The Wayside Spring,” [not available on CD-Rom] and you will find the same lesson there. Think over it through the week, and next week we will talk more about it.

The Present Truth – September 1, 1898
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf  The Circle of Blessing