Lenten Reflection for March 22 by Casey Watrobski

By Casey Watrobski

Jeremiah 2:4-13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
6 They did not say, “Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,
where no one lives?”
7 I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?”
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers[a] transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
9 Therefore once more I accuse you,
says the Lord,
and I accuse your children’s children.
10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has ever been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for something that does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no water.
Reflection

Water Music Suite No. 1

Jeremiah 2:13:  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.

Have you ever looked back on your life and re-evaluated times you turned to other resources instead of turning to God?  It’s not always during times of need, but in pursuit of happiness also.

Is it possible we are just as guilty of the same two evils the people of Judah committed in Jeremiah’s day? Is it possible we have become so acclimatized to the living water that we drifted away from the fountain God provided us to see what other water was out there?  Have we become fools by digging out our own cisterns?  It might depend on what happiness is to you.

Some of us want a successful career, and of course it’s necessary to have a job, but if we look for complete gratification in our occupations, and are only Christians on Sunday mornings, then our efforts will be fruitless and result in a broken empty cistern.

What about the priorities in how we occupy our time?  Some Christians spend copious amounts of time surfing the Internet, reading Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media, but spend very little time reading Scripture.  The same can be said for newspapers and magazines in digital or print.  Why do we make these choices?  Will reading and sometimes engaging, especially in our current political climate, fill our cups with the living water?  While it’s not wrong to read and participate in social media, have these types of digital platforms become more interesting and exciting than God’s Word?  Yes, social media has certainly revolutionized human relationships and has become a new way to reach people.  However, if we are turning away from the living word of God and spending an exorbitant amount of time seeking to satisfy our social drama or political thirst, then we may be just as guilty as the people of Judah.

The same can be said for how we entertain ourselves and seek pleasure.  It is not wrong to have a work-life balance.  In fact, it’s important now more than ever.  However, it’s when we begin to look for complete fulfillment and satisfaction in these things that can be considered a form of cistern-making.  We need to find new ways to turn back toward God and drink from the fountain.  We can meditate and pray, read Scripture on Kindle, volunteer in a community project, spend time with family, tell and show your partner/spouse you love them.  We need to return to the Fountain of Living Waters before we learn a little too late in life that the other water we foolishly sought out slipped through the cracks of our self-made cisterns.

Prayer

God, lead us to the river to wash all of our delusions away. Help us to avoid all fruitless efforts and thirst, and forever drink from the fountain of living waters.