Be appalled Oh heavens at this be shocked. Be utterly desolate declares the Lord for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hued out cisterns for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water.
– Jeremiah 2:12–13
What an indictment and what an exaltation to us. Hear what God is saying to these people in Jeremiah chapter two. They have committed two evils that are shocking, like be appalled of heavens at this. What have they done? One, they have forsaken me. The fountain of living waters be appalled. They have walked away from the fountain of living waters and two, they’ve hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. And this is absurd. They have left total satisfaction to seek out satisfaction in ways that are totally empty. It makes no sense.
Jeremiah 2:12–13 Reminds Us God Desires Our Satisfaction
Be appalled, be shocked, be utterly desolate declares the Lord and the whole picture here, if you look back up at verse 11, it’s talking about a nation that has changed its God and has turned to gods that do not satisfy and do not deserve glory. And Jeremiah 2:11 says they don’t profit you in any way. Do you see this invitation from God, to you and me, to his people, to all people, to be satisfied in him.
God loves you and me. God desires our satisfaction, our full satisfaction. And he is the source of full satisfaction. He alone can fully satisfy us. So don’t turn aside to the things of this world today. Seek God alone. Trust God alone. Don’t put your hope in anything in this world. Don’t put your trust in the things of this world. Put all your trust in God, put all your hope in God and you will experience full satisfaction.
Jeremiah 2:12–13 Reminds Us to Turn to the Lord
He is the fountain of living water. Do not turn to the things of this world. They are broken cisterns that cannot hold water. God help us to live with this perspective today we pray. God help us to see the emptiness that is found in putting our hope in people, in things, possessions, pursuits, pleasures in this world. Open our eyes to ways that we are hewning out cisterns for ourselves, cisterns that can’t hold water and God help us daily moment by moment all day today, to turn to you and trust in you and be satisfied in you.
God keep us from turning away from you. The one true God who can fully satisfy our souls and help us to seek you with all our hearts. To love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To trust in you with all of our hearts to realize every moment of today and tomorrow and the next day that you are the fountain of living water.
Praying for the Java Pesisir Lor People of Indonesia
God, we don’t want to forsake you in any way, help us to feast on the satisfaction that is found on in you to drink deeply of the living water. It’s found in you in your word and abiding in you and obeying you. And God help us to pass that on to others, to people in our homes, to people we work with, help us to proclaim living water. God we pray you’d help us to proclaim living water to the nations, to all the peoples of the earth. God, for the Java Pesisir Lor people.
I don’t even know if I’m saying their name exactly right, but this people group of 38 million people in Indonesia who have such a small number of followers of Jesus, God, they are seeking gods who don’t hold water, who cannot satisfy God, we pray for your satisfaction be known among the Java Pesisir Lor people of Indonesia, please God, please may they know the fountain of living water in Jesus. Use us to make the fountain of living water known among all the nations, including this people group. God, you alone can satisfy our souls. So forgive us for our idolatry, rid us of our idolatry and help us to feast on your goodness and your glory and to lead others to do the same. We pray this according to your word in Jeremiah 2:11 through 13 in Jesus name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
