missio

My memory verse this week is Jeremiah 2:13. Here it is:

for My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the foundation of living waters; and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.(ESV)

Here’s a rough breakdown of the verse, in Twitter-like format:

• Regardless of what we have done, we are still “God’s people”. He never disowns us! This is awesome news!
• We aren’t simply guilty of leaving God, just one evil that is more than enough to condemn us before Him. We are also guilty of replacing God with things that could never hold up. Therefore: two evils.
• God is not simply the fountain of life-giving water. He is the source of multiple waters, all with different flavors and holding different reflections of His goodness. The abundance of life in Him is overwhelming to us…and we have forsaken it.
• Hewing out cisterns takes work. We could rest in the Great Fountain, but instead choose to work in order to make a replacement that never even comes close. How ridiculous!
• Not only do we make cisterns, but we don’t even make them for our neighbor. We are utterly even in our idolatry: we make idols for ourselves.
• The cisterns themselves, upon their completion at our hands, are broken. Immediately upon our finishing of them. They are broken. Not only do they not hold water….but they are unable to hold water. They can’t.
• Here’s the rub: We have left God, and replaced His overabundant, infinite worth with shattered shards of worthlessness.
• Here’s the application: what broken cisterns have we made, and are trying to put in His place? Success? Drugs? Porn? Relationships? Alcohol? Control? Self image?

God forgive me. For leaving you, and for replacing you with worthless clay that cannot hold any water at all, much less the abounding life-giving water that You bring. Amen.

Ligonier Ministries is an awesome, Gospel-driven organization dedicated to producing resources for the Kingdom at-large. Here’s a link to a number of children’s stories that present the Gospel clearly.

Deep Truths of the Bible for Children

Here’s a great article about the importance of campus ministries…but the overwhelming priority of being involved in a full-fledged covenantal local church body. (Link)