Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Forsaking the Lord
An excerpt from Jeremiah 2:12-13
Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
Reflection from Jon Dutcher, St Gregory’s Episcopal Church:
Water is essential for human life. Our bodies are over 50% water, and we can only survive a matter of days without it.The lack of water will also burn up crops and kill livestock.
Jeremiah says the people have committed two evils:they have forsaken God, who provides their life-giving water. And they have, in their arrogance, attempted to manage by building cisterns to store water for themselves.But the cisterns are cracked and cannot hold water.
Jeremiah implies that unless the people come back to God, they are destined to a desolate, thirsty existence in a barren landscape. We need God as much as we need water.
“Rio Grande Gorge (limited palette)” Painting by Jon Dutcher
For further study and prayer, the readings assigned for today are:
• Psalm 81
• Jeremiah 2:4-13
• John 7:14-31, 37-39
Music:
“Living Water” by Tom Trenney
Fill me love for Jesus, my Lord;
come fill me with living water.
Tags: Lent 2023
