Jeremiah 2:7-13

I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit. “Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the LORD, “And against your children’s children I will bring charges. For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the LORD. "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Jeremiah 2:7-13

God had blessed Israel by giving them the land of promise with its natural fertility. The bunches of grapes so large that two spies had to carry them, the bountiful crops of grain, pastures for their herds, figs and olives. It was a good land. Israel allowed those who remained of the heathen peoples to influence them for evil. Instead of allowing God to use them to be a light to all peoples, they embraced the darkness of those who had given themselves completely into the rule of Satan. The land of promise became an abomination instead of a blessing. The priests, instead of modeling the simplicity of trusting in God and encouraging the abhorrence of sin, failed to direct the people to the Lord. Those responsible for the law forgot the lawgiver, and turned what law they wanted to obey into a system of regulations for their own convenience. The rulers led the path to apostasy instead of guiding the people towards service to their faithful God. The prophets prophesied by false gods instead of sharing life enhancing messages of the true God. Instead of walking in the path of light and being a light to the nations around, Israel joined the nations around as they stumbled through the spiritual darkness of service to the false gods and every man doing what was right in their own eyes. They walked after things that did not profit instead of letting God lead them into the peace and mission He had planned for them.
God said that He would bring charges against them. Their continuous backsliding would not always be overlooked. They would be held accountable for the responsibilities they had been given. God seems almost to be in anguish as He asks if there are any other examples where a nation changed its gods. Israel changed its Glory for that which did not profit. Blessed with the knowledge of the true God who could actually give them life and prosperity, they left Him and followed after rocks and stones for the sole reason they could see them and they gave them a false impression of control. They wanted to believe that these gods affected their lives, so they saw them as being in control, and yet controllable by the people following rigid rules of subservience. Whenever they had needed God, He was there to help them. His protection was always available and He demonstrated his love and caring for them time after time. It seems impossible to believe that Israel would turn their backs on the true God and worship gods of stone and wood that could never do anything for them. Yet they just accepted what those around them accepted and worshipped what those around them worshipped. They just wanted to fit in and be like everybody else. I see that this is also my tendency. It seems that doing like everybody else instead of doing what God asks is easier. If I look objectively at the results of following these false gods, there is only pain and unhappiness. But I convince myself that I am happy and content, all the while I desperately run after things that are not profitable to fill the void in my soul. I need God, I attempt to fill that need with gods that are unable to help me. My inclination is to forsake the true God who provides the life giving water that I need and hew cisterns that turn out to be broken and unable to hold water. The water I need to live seeps away into the dry ground and I perish for lack of moisture. Yet God offers to make me a well, with His life giving water continuously bubbling up through me and spilling out to give water those around me. If only Israel had stood with God and let the waters of life flow threw them, what a light for the world they would have been.

Lord,
Help me today to be a well for Your water today. Forgive me for allowing my sins to take me away from Your love. Help me to change my desire for those things that do not profit for the Glory of Your love.