In Spite of Myself

Jeremiah 2:13

"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."

I was looking at this verse and I started thinking about how this is true for so many Christians today. As born again Christians, we have been given the "fountain of living waters". Jesus said in John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Peter says in II Peter 1: 2&3 "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:".

Why is it then, seeing that God has given us all things, that we continue to seek fulfillment and meaning outside of God Himself? How would we live if we really understood that the world has nothing for us? 

I feel compelled to write this today. It is heavy on my heart. I believe there are many Christians (myself included) that continue to cling to these "broken cisterns". We have a divided heart. But the Bible tells us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot "ride the fence".

1 Kings 18: 21 says, "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

I think part of the problem is that we do not see things as God sees them. We do not have an eternal perspective. We have a very horizonal view of things. We need to have a vertical view. One day, everything around us will be gone. We need to stop wasting our time on things that have no eternal value. As it has been said, "Only what's done for Christ will last". Everything else will be destroyed.

Peter tells us in II Peter 3:10-14  "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all  holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Most of us know these verses. We have heard them many, many times. And yet we continue to try to fill up ourselves with that which cannot satisfy, with that which only leaves us emptier. But it does not have to be this way. We need to cast off the things that keep our hearts divided. We need to ask God to purge our hearts of whatever these things might be, and honestly pray Psalm 86:11 which says, "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name."