I like what Selwyn has to say in today’s study. The drive to become totally independent and immune to any external threats – fuels the “it’s all about me” society in it consumption of ‘things’, in an attempt to demonstrate their individuality and independence. Yet, sadly their lives are ‘broken cisterns that cannot hold (life giving) water’ – their consumption will never provide lasting satisfaction.
The verses for reading and meditation (Jeremiah 2:4-13) are worth thinking about, I also like the following verses (13-15,17, and 19): “‘My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder? Lions have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste his land; his towns are burned and deserted. …
Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way? …
Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider this and realise how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.”
Selwyn says: “If, as we have been saying, deep spiritual change comes about not so much from the outside in, but from the inside out, what do we need to know about our inner selves? Simply this: God has made us beings who are dependent on Him, and has put within every one of us a thirst which only He can satisfy. …
Why would someone prefer to walk past a fountain of fresh, clean water at which they can drink freely and dig a well of their own? It doesn’t make sense. But then our stubbon, sinful tendencies never do make sense. Our carnal nature, which is so deeply committed to independence, abhors feeling hepless. Yet it is precisely this – the feeling of helplessness – which we must be willing to embrace if we are to become dependent on God and drink from His wells rather than those (broken wells) of our own making.”
God wants us to freely drink from His well of life, as He knows how much we will enjoy our thirst being eternally satisfied.
Another point, I picked up from Jeremiah 2:19, ‘Consider how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of Me‘. I think the modern Christian has lost, to a certain degree – an awe of Jesus – some ministers appear to emphasise ‘the good man/teacher’ side of His nature and don’t bring forward enough – His glorified nature, as seen in Revelation 1: 16-17 ‘His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.’ We can take it from these veses that for John seeing Jesus in His glorified state – was obviously awe inspiring. Why is it that some areas of the Church, tend not to portray (in a general sense) Jesus in all His majesty – what are your views on this?Â
Wells of our own making
I like what Selwyn has to say in today’s study. The drive to become totally independent and immune to any external threats – fuels the “it’s all about me” society in it consumption of ‘things’, in an attempt to demonstrate their individuality and independence. Yet, sadly their lives are ‘broken cisterns that cannot hold (life giving) water’ – their consumption will never provide lasting satisfaction.
The verses for reading and meditation (Jeremiah 2:4-13) are worth thinking about, I also like the following verses (13-15,17, and 19): “‘My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder? Lions have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste his land; his towns are burned and deserted. …
Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way? …
Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider this and realise how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.”
Selwyn says: “If, as we have been saying, deep spiritual change comes about not so much from the outside in, but from the inside out, what do we need to know about our inner selves? Simply this: God has made us beings who are dependent on Him, and has put within every one of us a thirst which only He can satisfy. …
Why would someone prefer to walk past a fountain of fresh, clean water at which they can drink freely and dig a well of their own? It doesn’t make sense. But then our stubbon, sinful tendencies never do make sense. Our carnal nature, which is so deeply committed to independence, abhors feeling hepless. Yet it is precisely this – the feeling of helplessness – which we must be willing to embrace if we are to become dependent on God and drink from His wells rather than those (broken wells) of our own making.”
God wants us to freely drink from His well of life, as He knows how much we will enjoy our thirst being eternally satisfied.
Another point, I picked up from Jeremiah 2:19, ‘Consider how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of Me‘. I think the modern Christian has lost, to a certain degree – an awe of Jesus – some ministers appear to emphasise ‘the good man/teacher’ side of His nature and don’t bring forward enough – His glorified nature, as seen in Revelation 1: 16-17 ‘His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.’ We can take it from these veses that for John seeing Jesus in His glorified state – was obviously awe inspiring. Why is it that some areas of the Church, tend not to portray (in a general sense) Jesus in all His majesty – what are your views on this?Â