Be Still And Know

Jeremiah 2:13 [The Lord says:] “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” In a country like Palestine, cisterns are a vital way of storing water for the long, hot and dry summers. The porous limestone rock needs to be lined with plaster in order to make them watertight. A cistern with a cracked lining is completely useless, and Jeremiah used this powerful image to tell the people that the gods they were worshipping were a complete waste of time. They could never satisfy their needs, unlike the fountain of living water that God offered to provide for them. This reminds us of Jesus’ encounter with the woman of Samaria (John 4). He offered her living water which could completely satisfy her deepest needs. She would never be thirsty again. Our society is full of cracked cisterns. Each one offers the lure of possessions, philosophies and entertainments which have the power