“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters and have hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
(Jeremiah 2:13)

It’s hard to miss the power of Jeremiah’s words, particularly when addressed to people living in a part of the world where water is scarce and its presence means life or death. The people of Jeremiah’s day would surely understand the link between forsaking the Lord, broken cisterns and the lack of water such cisterns bring about.

I’ve spent a good deal of time meditating on this passage over the past week. As a result, I’ve come to see that his words are quite applicable to us in our day, even though all we need to do is turn on the closest faucet for an endless supply of water. Here’s what I mean.

Jeremiah described two evils. He used the imagery of water to make his point. Their first evil was that of forsaking the Lord, the fountain of living water. Their second evil was seeking to quench their thirst from other sources, sources that were broken and held no water.

Now I think we’d all agree that forsaking the Lord inevitably leads to the pursuit of other things, broken things. So it’s clear that forsaking the Lord is the first step toward the pursuit of broken things. In that light, the word “forsake” is interesting. It means to neglect, abandon or to let go of something. Hence, as soon as we neglect, abandon or let go of the Lord, we start hewing out other cisterns. 

All of this leads me to ask a penetrating question. Is there any degree to which you are seeking to quench your thirst from a source other than the living water found only in the Lord? In other words, from what source are you finding your contentment, joy and satisfaction? If it is something other than the Lord, beware. The inevitable next step is that you will start to carve out substitute sources of satisfaction, broken sources that can never satisfy your deepest thirst. 

I see this process at work all the time. I speak with people almost daily who are in the midst of seeking joy in broken cisterns that “hold no water.” The result is that they are constantly thirsty, always seeking to quench their thirst with things that serve to make them even more thirsty. At that point, the cycle of thirst and broken cisterns becomes endless.

The only way to avoid being constantly thirsty is to constantly drink from the living water of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” There is never a shortage of living water when the source is Christ!

“What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?”
(Isaiah 5:4)

In the above verse God, through the prophet Isaiah, asked each of us as Christians a very important question. What he asked is this: “I have blessed you in every imaginable way; what else can I do for you to show you my love?” Later in the same verse he said, “When I looked for it (my vineyard—the people of Israel) to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” The Apostle Paul put it another way when he said in the first chapter of Ephesians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Do you see it? There is literally nothing more God can do for us than what he has already done in sending Christ to the cross. 

Let me show you what Paul told the Colossian believers regarding what the cross brought to them. He said that they were “delivered from the domain of darkness, transferred to the kingdom of light, redeemed, forgiven, reconciled to God, presented holy and blameless before God, firmly rooted and grounded in him, built up in him, made complete in him, buried with him in baptism, and made alive in him, having the certificate of death cancelled.” Can you think of anything that is left out of the list of incredible things God has done for us?

Paul went on to pray that the Colossians would “be filled with the knowledge of his will, walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bear fruit in good works, increase in the knowledge of God, receive strength with all power, and attain to all steadfastness.” I think it is clear that when God does something, he goes all the way and leaves nothing undone.

How does this apply in our day? I speak regularly with Christians who struggle in various areas of life; and in some measure they struggle because they are not familiar with all that God has already done for them, and lack thankfulness for his actions on their part. Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we lived in light of what God has already accomplished on our behalf, as well as if we demonstrated a continual spirit of thankfulness? We would focus on his greatness as opposed to our weakness, on his glory and not our sin, on his power and not our fear, on his sovereignty and not our selfishness, on his purposes and not our pride, on his security and not our uncertainties. A life that focuses on the cross represents a life that is lived above the trivial things that sap our vitality for Christ and his kingdom. Such a life is a continual concert of thanksgiving for God’s goodness and blessings.

When we understand that all the purposes of God were realized in his Son Jesus Christ, and live in light of his sufficiency in every area of life, we can answer Isaiah’s question with one word. “What more was there for me to do for you?” Nothing; absolutely nothing. Thank you, God for your indescribable gift!

“If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92)

I am constantly amazed at the things people reach for when their world crashes in on them, when affliction comes through no fault of their own or otherwise. Sadly, all too often I see people reach for the wrong things. Now don’t get me wrong, there is indeed a place for many of the things people reach for, but in most instances such things bring surface and temporary relief. That’s certainly the lesson the psalmist learned.

As I’ve meditated on this verse over the past week, I’ve come to see that the exact words the psalmist used are instructive. Let me show you what I mean. There are three key words in the verse; delight, perished and affliction. Each is important.

The word “delight” means to take pleasure in; the word “perished” means to vanish or to be exterminated; and finally, the word “affliction” means misery. In total, the psalmist is saying that if it were not for taking delight and pleasure in the word of God during his season of misery, he would have vanished or been exterminated. He’s not referring to a literal extermination, but rather an extermination of his spirit in the midst of misery. Unless I’m wrong, some of us have been very close to such extermination. Am I right?

I am privileged to sit with you each week as you share your stories of “affliction.” God has graciously put me in such a position and I take it very seriously. Yet can I tell you that, in many instances, by the time you share your situation with me, you have explored other sources of relief, often at the expense of taking your delight in the word of God.

Here’s what I’ve learned in my own life. There is no substitute for the unchanging word of God to comfort, direct, calm, encourage, sooth and settle down my heart in the midst of affliction. There have been times when reading and memorizing a verse that I’ve come to believe that the passage was written specifically for me and my situation (which of course is true -- true for you as well). The psalmist learned that there was no substitute for the word of God in the midst of affliction. How does that apply to you?

Let me encourage you to do something this week. Be intentional about asking God to show you specific passages that speak to your specific situation. If the Holy Spirit does anything well, he brings us comfort through the word of God. The psalmist survived his affliction. You will as well as the law of God becomes your delight!

“But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (I Thessalonians 5:12-13).

As you are aware, October is designated as “Clergy Appreciation Month.” This is the time each year when local congregations are encouraged to show their appreciation for the shepherds God has set in their midst. Although such appreciation is not limited to a single month, October is special in that way.

This past Sunday, you as a congregation were faithful in fulfilling the words of Paul in I Thessalonians. You expressed your appreciation to your pastors. On behalf of Pastor Greg and Nicole, Pastor Nathanael and Miriam, Pastor Jivko and Julie, as well as Ruth and I, we want to express our deep thanks to you for your generosity. Yet having said that, can I tell you that what we are most thankful for is not the gifts you gave (although the books, cards, candy, baked goods, money [did I say candy?] and other gifts were awesome, too many to identify each giver individually). What we are most thankful for is the privilege we have of serving you as your pastors. Here’s why.

Who but God could take ordinary men and their wives and place them in the wonderful and blessed position of serving God’s people? The deepest of personal blessing comes to us as we serve you. So whereas you have expressed your appreciation to us, in reality it is we who must share our appreciation to you for allowing us to serve, to enter into your lives at the deepest level and watch God work for his glory and our good. We don’t consider what we do as “work,” but rather as the wonderful demonstration of God’s grace in our lives, allowing us to partner with you for the sake of the gospel.

In that light, there are two additional things that I am personally appreciative of. First, I deeply appreciate your responsiveness to the preached word of God week after week. Frankly, your hunger for the scriptures is what motivates me in large measure as I prepare to preach each week. You keep me focused in that regard. And second, I am deeply appreciative of the wonderful young men God has brought to our staff. I can’t imagine a more dedicated or self-sacrificing pastoral staff.

In another place, the Apostle Paul said, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” Although he was referring to the gift of salvation, it’s hard not to apply his words to our mutual spirit of thanksgiving; you for your pastors, and your pastors for you. Isn’t God good in that way?