Hew Not for Yourself Broken Cistern

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. – Jeremiah 2: 13

Jeremiah 2:13 clearly states that God’s people have committed two evils, namely forsaking Him, the fountain of living waters, and carving out broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Astonishingly, those who forsook the Lord and relied on their own strength were not outsiders or God’s adversaries; they were, in fact, God’s people. God Himself characterized these actions as evil.

Can a child of God forsake Him? Absolutely. We forsake the Lord by disregarding His instructions, neglecting our relationship with Him, and deliberately disobeying His commands.

Creating broken cisterns for ourselves involves relying on our own strength, depending on our own understanding, and basking in our past glories. God is the source of living waters that can satisfy our thirsty souls, and He never runs dry. Forsaking the Lord is evil and is rooted in arrogance and pride.

Carving out a cistern for ourselves is unwise because our strength has limitations, our understanding is superficial, and our past glory will fade away in the light of God’s sufficiency. God Himself describes any cistern that we create as broken and incapable of holding water.

The call to action is for us to repent if we have forsaken God in any way or have been relying on our own strength. If we do, God is ready to restore us and satisfy our souls with His living waters. Let us confidently pray, “Father, restore me where I have erred and please quenched my thirst with Your living waters. Amen.”