Cross Culture

Jeremiah 2:13 (KJV) For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

(Proverbs 9 also read)

In this chapter, Jeremiah goes into a long recounting of the unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel.  He goes all the way back to Egypt.  He points out that once again after all this time they are going to trust in Egypt instead of their God.  There’s a lot of creative writing, figures of speech, historical references, and so forth.

But here’s a verse that should stand out in your mind if it doesn’t sound familiar already.  We have often strayed away.  This is something that is not just a problem for Israel.  It is a problem for everyone.  We substitute an artificial construction for the living God.  Building a cistern is not a bad idea if the source of water is unreliable.  That’s not the picture here.  What we have is a picture of a very dependable source of water, which has never failed.  And they decide to build a cistern.

And it’s a crummy cistern.  It leaks.  I can just see the mold crawling across the bottom.  It probably has green scum everywhere.  That would be bad enough but it seems that instead of using the living water on a daily basis, they use the cistern.

So?  What are you relying on for your hope for tomorrow?  What is it that feeds you on a regular basis?  God has provided His word.  We have access to worship. We can spend time meditating and worshiping Him.  But instead we go to self-help books, psychology, sociology and anything else that appeals to us.  This is a reminder to keep our focus on trusting him.