January 25 I Monday

Exodus 12-13

Matthew 16

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters...”   
—Isaiah 55:1

Sometimes people come to Christ and they know that something wonderful has happened in their lives and they are excited about it for a while. But over time, they begin to slide away. This is why God said in Jeremiah 2:13, “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.” The “My people” the verse refers to are the Israelites, who are God’s covenant people. They committed two sins: forsaking God, the source of satisfying water, and digging their own cistern. When a person turns away from the living God, he does not live in some kind of vacuum; instead, he builds his own cisterns because he needs something that gives life meaning and reason. The only problem is that the cistern is broken. 

Jeremiah’s message to the people was to come back. This is a message to those who are the people of God and those who are not the people of God. Stanza three in the hymn, “O Christ, in Thee My Soul Hath Found” goes, “I tried the broken cisterns, Lord, / But, ah, the waters 
failed! / E’en as I stooped to drink they fled, / And mocked me as I wailed.” Yet, the refrain sings, “Now none but Christ can satisfy, / None other name for me; / There’s love and life and lasting joy, / Lord Jesus, found in Thee.” 

In the New Testament, this is the message Jesus was giving to the Samaritan woman, after years of drinking from broken cisterns. Jesus says, “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). The NASB translation says, “The water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” In the NASB translation, the water is described as a well and a well is always deep, compared to a spring, which is always fresh. 

If we want this water, from which we will never thirst again, it has to go deep like a well and be fresh like a spring. We will never find satisfaction in a superficial Christianity, metaphorically tipping our hat to God saying, “Okay, I acknowledge You. I would like to be forgiven and go to heaven when I die.” This kind of commitment will leave us totally frustrated because we will never be satisfied until Jesus Christ goes deep into every part of our lives.

Are we still drawing out of broken cisterns or are we drawing from Jesus Christ? When we draw deep and fresh with Jesus, we make Him Lord of our life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I want a relationship with You that is deep and fresh. Lead me in Your paths of righteousness in every part of my life. Thank You, Lord.