Water From the Well of Bethlehem - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
2 Samuel 23:15

Water From the Well of Bethlehem
How little did those three mighty men imagine that their act of loving devotedness would be recorded on the eternal page of inspiration, there to be read by millions. They never thought of this. Their hearts were set on David, and they did not count their lives dear to themselves so that they might gratify him or refresh his spirit. Had they acted to get a name or place for themselves, it would have robbed their act of all its charm and consigned it to its merited contempt and oblivion. But no, they loved David. This was the spring of their activity. They proved that he was more precious to their hearts than life itself. They forgot all in the one absorbing object of serving David, and the aroma of their sacrifice ascended to the throne of God, while the record of their deed shines on the page of inspiration so long as that page endures.

Oh! how we long for something like this in reference to the true David in this the day of His rejection. We do greatly covet a more intense and self-sacrificing devotedness as the fruit of the constraining love of Christ. It is not a question of working for rewards, for a crown, or for a place, though we fully believe in the doctrine of rewards. No! the very moment we make rewards our object, we are below the mark. But then we believe also that every jot or tittle of true service will be rewarded in the day of Christ's glory and that each servant will get his place in the record and his place in the kingdom according to the measure of His personal devotedness down here. We must confess we long to see the standard of devotedness greatly raised among us, and this can only be effected by having our hearts more entirely consecrated to Christ and His Name. O Lord, revive Your work!

C. H. Mackintosh