Day #241 - Two Sins
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Jeremiah 2:13 NIV
Do you think we are all worshippers?
I’ve heard many preachers over the years talk about how we are all worshippers of something. I have to agree with this statement. We try to find meaning in our lives whether we are Christians, spiritual, religious or even non-religious. Our culture is filled with pleasure seeking through sports stadiums, rock concerts, festivals, fame, wealth, power and notoriety. Everyone of us finds something to worship in our lives that is bigger than us and gives us purpose and some kind of satisfaction.
Jeremiah is prophesying judgement against God’s people Israel and charging them with committing two sins. The first sin is that they had forsaken God, “the spring of living water.” The second sin they committed was that they dug their own cisterns which were broken and could not hold water.
This first sin is truly the sin of sins. This first sin of forsaking God is what ultimately leads to our destruction. God Himself is our salvation. Jesus made this clear in His claims that He is the source of life, of living water. When we withdraw from “the Presence” and forsake Him, we are forsaking our only source of life and refreshing.
This second sin of digging our own cisterns that can’t hold water reveals that we can be so foolish and that we are all worshippers. Cisterns are tanks or reservoirs that hold water. So not only do we forsake God as the spring of living water, we create our own containers for holding water that can’t hold water. This reveals that we are all seeking “the Presence” but when we turn from the true source, we create counterfeit presence in our lives that cannot satisfy or cannot hold water.
Fidelity to Jesus as our only source of “the Presence” is for our own pleasure. Turning from Him and trying to create our own pleasure and satisfaction through other worship leaves us empty and dry. Don’t be tempted to turn from Him. There is no life, power and true satisfaction outside of Him and what His hand provides.
Lord Jesus, You are my Source of living water, a spring that never runs dry. Let me never turn from Your presence in my life. I give You my worship. Cleanse my life from any idols, from any cisterns that I have attempted to turn to instead of You. Be my all in all. I am satisfied in You alone. In Jesus name, amen.
This is the verse I needed when I was teaching "Rappaccini's Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (I wish I'd had it!) There are many references in the Bible to fountains and the living water, but this Jeremiah 2:13 verse is the one I needed, "They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” There is a broken fountain in the garden of the scientist Dr. Rappaccini. He worships science and self, and has even made his own daughter a sick science experiment. The whole story points to the tragedy of forsaking the living water of God! Oh Lord, forgive our country, and all that has been done in the name of "science." You are the sacred source of all things; You created everything, and everything is made beautiful in its time. We praise You, the holy and living water! 💧✝💧
AMEN!!