“For my people have done two evil things: they have abandoned me – the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that hold not water at all.” (Jeremiah 2:13 NLT)
When we visited Israel last year I was taken aback by the proliferation of cisterns in every historical site we toured. It’s very obvious how essential water collection and retention was to the long term success of a community. Yet, thousands of years later, blessed few of these cisterns still held water. Most were abandoned stone structures; bone dry. My only recollection of a watered cistern in our visit was the one deep under Jerusalem and that water was thick with scum and utterly unappealing for drinking.
Jeremiah made it clear in this scripture; we have two offenses against God. Turning from Him and looking to something else as our source. Something else can be anything else; our own wits, a relationship with someone powerful, our wealth, popularity, our family, a hobby or entertainment.
Whatever we use to fill the void of God relationship, like the cisterns in ancient Israel, it won’t hold the test of time. We can carve our our own well of self-provision in lots of ways, but it will always eventually crack and fail. We cannot possibly self-sustain the things we need most: absolution and restoration. As deep as we dig and as tight as we caulk, our cisterns will eventually leak and and run dry. God is our one true source and we’ll only ever find ALL that we need in Him. He is the liven fountain that will never dry up. He is our only hope of sustaining, of keeping our lives from disintegrating into archeological ruins for a future generation to find.
Every man-made cistern will eventually turn; like the one under the city. It will slowly start to offer death instead of life. And then it will dry up completely. The singular cistern that won’t runs dry is sourced in Jesus Christ. And His promised supply is for anyone who is thirsty.
“Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.'” (John 7:37-38 NLT)
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)
Lord, we look to You as our source. Hold our attention, engage all our senses as we forsake self-sufficiency and surrender to Your agenda for our existence. Sustain us. Direct us. Delight in us as we find all our hope in You. Amen.