Monday Musings: Broken Cisterns

There is a change in the air, here in Chicago.  Our highs are topping out in the mid 80's (although today our high is 75) and our lows have even ventured into the 50's.  You can feel fall coming and it will be here before we know.  It has been a grand summer here in the City.  I am so glad that we got to experience a full Chicago summer and share such sweet times with family and friends.  

I sure do love the fall, though . . . 

I have been reading through Jeremiah this month.  You just have to feel for Jeremiah.  He had a really tough job as one of God's prophets.  Unfortunately, God's people were not doing much of anything that they should have been.  This made Jeremiah's message one full of warnings and rather gloomy predictions.  Let's just say that the people did not take it well and Jeremiah suffered in many different ways.  He was committed to obediently following God's direction, even in the midst of persecution.  He really challenges me to be obedient ALL the time - not just when it is easy.

I was reading in Jeremiah 2 and came across verse 13 about broken cisterns.

For my people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me - the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

One of the things that you notice living in a big city is the high level of brokenness around you.  I'm not saying that there isn't brokenness everywhere, but when you live in a city where everyone is living in very close quarters and it is all out there - you are tripping over brokenness everywhere that you turn.  When I read this verse, it really spoke to me about the state of my city.

What a picture of our broken world - a world in which many turn their backs on the only One who can truly give us life.  Instead, we grab up everything we can get our hands on -- trying to hold on to water that continually slips through our fingers and throwing the few drops we can hang on to into a vessel that leaks.

What God offers us a an unlimited supply of living water.  We don't have to save it up.  We don't have to capture it in any kind of a vessel because it becomes a part of us.  But this water is not meant to store - it is meant to be shared - given out - spent.

This living water renews.  It brings us JOY.  It builds our faith.

Let's pour out this water on the brokenness that surrounds us.  Let's be intentional about listening, caring, meeting the needs that we can, offering encouragement, praying, giving, loving and noticing.

Let's choose Living Water.

Let's allow Jesus to be Living Water through us.