By Riley Nelson
In the days of Jeremiah God made the following statement through the prophet, “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” (Jer. 2:13). Many of today’s generation may not even know what a cistern is. It is a device for storing water. Cisterns, belonging to the common natives, are rarely cleansed, and the inevitable scum which collects is dispersed by plunging the pitcher several times before drawing water. When the water is considered to be bad, a somewhat primitive cure is applied by dropping earth into the cistern, so as to sink all impurities with it, to the bottom. (ISBE p.658). This helps us to understand what is being said in Jeremiah 2:13. The people had left the sweet life giving water (God’s love and care) and had turned to broken cisterns (trusting in other gods which were no gods cf. v11, 12).
Today there are those who make the same choice to forsake the living water to drink of the putrid, pungent, poison of sin. Satan makes the things of this life look so great and refreshing. Christians are tempted to drink long and full from Satan’s dipper, yet their thirst is never satisfied.
It has been said many times of Israel, “How could they turn their backs on God after he had provided them with so much?” This same question needs to be asked about the children of God today. God has given us so many great and wonderful things. His giving of His Son to die for our sins ranks as the greatest of all blessings. He has also given mankind the written word so that we can know how to please our creator, and to know of His love for us. He gave us the Church so that we could have fellowship with Him and with other Christians. In the body we find support and help as we travel through this life.
Not only do we have spiritual blessings we also have physical blessings given to us by God. Marriage is perhaps the greatest physical blessing given to man. As God was finishing the days of creation, He stated that it was not good for man to be alone, and so Eve was given to Adam and the home had its beginning. To that union children were given, another of God’s blessings to man.
So God has given us spiritual blessings through Christ that our souls can know peace and heavenly reward. He has given us the physical blessing so that we can have companionship as we strive to live for Him each day.
Yet still some would forsake the flowing fountain to partake of the murky water of the cistern. Countless millions refuse to believe in God at all. They chose to trust in man’s explanations of creation and existence rather than to trust in God.
Dear reader, study God’s word and obey it, that you may also partake of the “Living Water”.