Henry Blackaby, my favorite devotional author, hauled me up short with this one. And yes, I will try to keep it short. But the point was powerful for me.
Whenever I am hungry, I simply go and eat. I can find plenty in my kitchen and pantry to supply me. And if I am out and about, there is a fast-food place, or even a handy restaurant, on every corner. Not to mention grocery stores with deli and to-go snacks and meals.
And if I am thirsty, I just fill my glass and drink. And again, have several options available to me – either in my home or on every corner when I am traveling. And yes, I carry a drink bottle with me and have extra waters in my car.
Here’s where he ‘nailed’ me. Blackaby asked “Do we do that spiritually?”
With regard to thirst — he made a bold statement that there never should be “dry spells” in the Christian life. God said He would be like an artesian well in the life of a believer. And if you aren’t familiar with artesian wells, they bubble constantly with cold, fresh, never-ending supplies of water from the depths of the earth. Yes, they quench any thirst and always are satisfying.
Great reminder – if people do say they are experiencing a dry spell in their Christian life, what are they really saying? That the Lord ran out of water? No, we would be looking in the wrong place for the problem. And don’t we often do that? OK, I do. Just as the scripture describes it:
For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2:13
Guilty, as charged. But when he shines the light on it, I can really see the folly of my ‘independent’ thinking that so often takes over.
In biblical days, a cistern was a man-made artificial reservoir dug into the ground to collect and store rainwater and watertight plaster was used to keep it from losing water. But a ‘cracked cistern’ referenced in the scripture can’t hold water and thirst cannot be quenched. And they for sure didn’t have plumbing bringing water in via a faucet like we get to have!
I have to answer that question and I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier – if I am feeling spiritually dry, I usually have exchanged the living fountain (think artesian well) for a manmade cistern. And it is a broken one.
Why would I do that? I believe I seek manmade solutions as a result of my overly independent nature of wanting to fix things myself, search out my own ways of satisfying needs, and the broken cisterns for me are the manmade idols of today to which I am turning. I think of Tim Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods: the Empty Promises of Money,Sex, and Power and the Only Hope that Matters. He does an amazing job of exposing modern-day idolatry.
What is an idol? Keller says it is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
He points out that even churches sometimes turn spiritual gifts and ministry success into a counterfeit god. His quote is so accurate today. “Making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those whose views differ.”
Have I been trying to satisfy my spiritual hunger and thirst with human resources? Am I relying on friends and experiences of others instead of going deeper with my Lord in faith that He is the answer and the source? Ok, I head over to scripture – Blackaby makes sure I hit the important ones here.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.” John 6:36 What a promise!
I know what I do – I want to set it all up so that I have a full pantry of food and a full tank of water so I don’t have to worry. I – I – I. Did you notice that? It is called the comfort of control — at least that is what I have named it. I believe it truly is a counterfeit god – an idol.
I realize it is really a lack of trust, a lack of faith, and places reliance on a “broken cistern” I have dug instead of relying on the Lord’s promises which result in much richer and trustworthy and satisfying provision than I could ever manage on my own.
So what’s the answer? As Blackaby reminded me, God provided daily manna in the wilderness and the Israelites had to go out each day to receive God’s daily provision. Plus He taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” And on top of that, He said “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink” (John 7:37) – and He is talking about the totally satisfying Living Water which only He can provide.
So, I am cutting this short in order to do what is truly the answer – seek spiritual nourishment daily from Christ my Lord in His word and in my relationship with Him. May this be as helpful to you as the reminder was for me!
