God deserves our best

Jeremiah 2:13

For My people have committed two evils:      They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,      And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. Ps. 36:9; Jer. 17:13; John 4:14

Matthew Henry says

“My people, whom I have taught and should have ruled, have committed two great evils, ingratitude and folly; they have acted contrary both to their duty and to their interest.’’ They have affronted their God, by turning their back upon him, as if he were not worthy their notice: “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, in whom they have an abundant and constant supply of all the comfort and relief they stand in need of, and have it freely.’’ God is their fountain of life, Ps. 36:9. There is in him an all-sufficiency of grace and strength; all our springs are in him and our streams from him; to forsake him is, in effect, to deny this. He has been to us a bountiful benefactor, a fountain of living waters, over-flowing, ever-flowing, in the gifts of his favour; to forsake him is to refuse to acknowledge his kindness and to withhold that tribute of love and praise which his kindness calls for.

They have cheated themselves, they forsook their own mercies, but it was for lying vanities. They took a great deal of pains to hew themselves out cisterns, to dig pits or pools in the earth or rock which they would carry water to, or which should receive the rain; but they proved broken cisterns, false at the bottom, so that they could hold no water. When they came to quench their thirst there they found nothing but mud and mire, and the filthy sediments of a standing lake. Such idols were to their worshippers, and such a change did those experience who turned from God to them. If we make an idol of any creature-wealth, or pleasure, or honour,—if we place our happiness in it, and promise ourselves the comfort and satisfaction in it which are to be had in God only,—if we make it our joy and love, our hope and confidence, we shall find it a cistern, which we take a great deal of pains to hew out and fill, and at the best it will hold but a little water, and that dead and flat, and soon corrupting and becoming nauseous. Nay, it is a broken cistern, that cracks and cleaves in hot weather, so that the water is lost when we have most need of it, Job 6:15. Let us therefore with purpose of heart cleave to the Lord only, for whither else shall we go? He has the words of eternal life. Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Je 2:9

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I think that many Christians are in the same “boat” as the children of Israel were when God inspired Jeremiah to write this. I have found myself either doing – or being tempted to do the following:

1. Look to a person to fill my cup instead of the Lord.

2. Look to some financial goal to fill my cup instead of the Lord.

3. Look to some position of power to fill my cup instead of the Lord.

4. Look to some achievement to fill my cup instead of the Lord.

5. Look to my favorite sin to fill my cup instead of the Lord.

I could go on and on… and I am sure you can to.

Be reminded that God deserves our best. He is the clean pure water that flows and fulfills – not ANYTHING else. So keep your eyes on HIM and not your broken – weak- impure – dry –  man centered – cisterns.

Job 6:15

My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away

When you or I look to anything else other than the Lord of our Salvation – it is like we are putting our confidence in a stream that passes away. We come to it (that relationship or wealth – prestige – power… whatever) in hopes of finding satisfaction and pleasure that quenches that longing that we all have – only to get to the brook – finding one day that it is dry and stagnate – no longer able to satisfy. Then what…? We have walked away from the only real source of clean pure water that deeply satisfies. We find ourselves lost – thirsty – alone – deeply hurting – with no where to turn. THIS IS THE TIME FOR REAL REPENTANCE. A putting off of ourselves – sick and tired of what we have become.  This is a time for a REAL turning to CHRIST – Making Him our Lord. Apart from His Lordship – He is not there and never has been. Where He resides – He makes –  by the good intention of His will – Himself LORD in that heart. This is sanctification – the 2nd part of our salvation.

Lets get our priorities right. Let’s worship Him with our lives in what we do.