My people have committed two sins
1. They have forsaken me, the spring of living water.
2. They have dug their own cisterns.
Broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah: 2:13)
Instead of going to God the spring of living water, they ignored that and built their own cisterns. Cisterns were constructed holes in the ground lined with different things to store water. But they were often broken and flimsy and could not hold any water. It just seeped away into the ground.
The good news of this scripture is that the living water is available.
The problem is that the people of Israel at the time of this prophecy were trying to provide their own supply of water to satisfy their spiritual needs and desires.
They built their own cisterns, they worshipped other Gods, they dealt with stuff on their own. They set up their own systems of spiritual refreshment.
Sadly those type of cisterns break easily and they cannot hold water.
Interesting that God reminds us that is a sin.
They were far from God.
They were spiritually dry.
Ever been there?
Are you there now?
Just imagine what Living water would look like and feel like for a second.
Yeah it flags up all kinds of pictures.
I like to see it as an endless life flow of the mercy, forgiveness, Grace and love of Jesus.
A healing water.
A flash flood of peace.
I ask myself today why do I build my own cistern so often and wonder why I feel so dry sometimes? Why I am running on empty so often.
Why?
When I know that when doing that I am forsaking God, the spring of living water.
Which is the kind of water I need.
I build my own cistern so often.
Someone says something hurtful, I build a cistern.
Someone tries to bring me down, I build a cistern.
I build cisterns when life isn't going great as well as sometimes when life is going fantastic.
The cistern I build is usually made with porous stuff like worrying what people think of me.
What would that person think if I did this? Or said that? You know that kind of thing.
I should be going to the spring of living water. I should care what God thinks about me much more than what others think.
I should drink from it and receive the life giving flow.
And.
I'm learning to do that on this journey.
But it's not just about learning.
I have to make it a way of life.
I sense the urgency of that this morning as I pray.
I've been running on empty a little bit lately but I felt the spirit of God speak to me this morning and say, "it doesn't have to be that way."
Anyone out there feeling a bit empty?
And.
Spiritually dry?
Are you building your own cisterns, going to the wrong places to try and get that thirst quenched. Worshipping a false God? Not believing in God at all? Trying to deal with things on your own? Sorting something out that you feel God couldn't possibly help you with? Feeling abandoned or useless? A bit hopeless even?
Then go to the spring of living water.
Jesus, the father the son and the Holy Spirit .
The life giving water full of hope, grace and love.
Take an almighty slug of that.
Yeah.
Go to that place.
Maybe the prayer I prayed for myself today may help someone.
Lord I choose to come to you today, I abandon all cisterns that I have built to try and fill my life with meaning. I've found nothing but emptiness there. I am desperate for your living water, for your mercy, for your grace, for your love, for your life. Please God fill me with life, new life, new perspective, a new dimension. Forgive me for the times I do not run to you, for the times I run anywhere but to you. I repent of that sin Lord. I have forsaken you at times, but you never leave me and I'm so glad of that. Thank you for that truth Lord that means that the spring of living water is near me eternally. I rise up from my knees Lord changed by this fact. I receive your life giving flow right now Lord. In Jesus name Amen.
