| Tradin' livin' water for religion? |
|
| |
2:13 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. It is so easy to trade away our living water, our intimate relationship with Jesus, our first love for God. Before we know it we get caught up in life's routines and needs.
We get plugged into a Christian format, program if you will. Go to a church of your choice on Sunday. Give some money (preferrably 10% of your income). Support the religious activities a wee bit. Look half-way holy on the outside. Then you are in -- set up in Christian living.
But are you? What about the living water -- the moment by moment experience of the Holy Spirit's life and Presence?
We can forsake God for forms, formats and programs. Paul told us that in the last days some people would be "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. From such turn away." How we disobey that verse! Rather than turning away from powerless religious froms -- dry, broken cisterns -- we hide out in them.
We point to our broken cisterns and say, "My aren't we blessed with such great churches!" But where is the power? Where are the changed lives? Where is the New Testament zeal? Where are the holy, righteous lives. Where is obedience, sacrifice, passion for reaching the lost, concern for the poor and broken, and willings to be rejected by the world? And where are the tears? Where is the repentance? Where are hearts broken for the things that break God's heart?
Oh Living Water, how we need You! We think we are doing fine. We don't even see that we are dry and our cisterns are broken. Help us see ourselves as we really are. Help us, Oh Lord, lest we die in our dryness and never see your power and glory displayed in our lives and in our society.
Check out more articles at: http://www.examiner.com/x-19568-Nashville-Evangelical-Examiner
|
|
Follow this blog
