Changing Their Glory for What Does Not Profit

by David Gibson

Isn’t it sad? How people seek after what proves counterproductive, totally illogical, and ultimately defeating.

“Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O 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 hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

Forsaking the Fountain for broken cisterns. How foolish!

In our day, don’t we see broken cisterns all around us: materialism, sinful pleasures, power grabs, prestige-seeking, acceptance by the in-crowd, stimulants providing a high that ultimately enslaves?

The author of Ecclesiastes reviews the various pursuits he had tried but found disappointing dead ends. Every generation seems to fall for the same old follies that captivated previous generations. The same old sins, the same ultimate emptiness. “. . . there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Satan keeps hawking his wares, and people keep buying and buying and buying.

But “the fountain of living waters” keeps flowing and flowing and flowing for all who will drink: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’ . . . . And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17).

The offer still stands.