Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched WorldChikamu

When Nothing Satisfies Your Soul

How often do we try to drink out of broken wells to fill our souls? The truth is, it’s not always easy to tell what will satisfy us. A cracked mug may look like it could hold a hot beverage, but it will leak the moment it is filled, yielding dissatisfaction . . .  and quite the mess. 

Jeremiah used the image of a broken cistern to describe the Israelites’ wayward desires. Choosing sin and idol worship is like drinking from a broken, dirty cistern; it only leads to sickness of the soul. But choosing Christ, the fountain of living waters, leads to salvation of the soul.  

Drinking from broken wells is part of the human condition. We spend a lot of our lives trying to force empty wells to provide for us. Just as you can’t make a broken mug hold coffee, you can’t make an idol yield lasting joy. 

Our empty wells may look different from those of Jeremiah’s day, but they result in the same disappointment. Maybe you have turned to one of these wells for satisfaction:

• Comfort. We think it will lead to spiritual satisfaction, but it has a way of turning into spiritual complacency and ineffectiveness. It seems innocent—soft T-shirts, cozy bedspreads, hot showers, and bowl fuls of ice cream. But when we crave these things more than a life of following Christ, they become distractions. 
• Success. We live in a success-driven culture, and it drives us to seek impressive stats next to our names and achievements on our résumés. But seeking joy in success is an empty well, an idol that can’t provide the satisfaction we long for. “More” is never enough. 
• Appearance. Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “For every look at self, take ten looks to Christ.” True beauty doesn’t come from straight teeth, a pant size, or a fashionable outfit. True beauty radiates from a heart captivated by God. 

The list of empty wells and broken cisterns we drink from could go on and on: perfection, health, relationships, promotions, homes, and more. The fountain of Christ’s blood, shed for you, still flows freely. Set aside your broken cisterns and receive the mercy of God, made possible through his Son. Stoop low to drink today.

Conversation Starter: Are you trusting in “Jesus plus something” for satisfaction, or are you trusting Jesus alone? 

Getting Started: Make a list of the broken mugs and empty wells that you have turned to for satisfaction. Ask God to help you set them aside and look only to him. Whatever you’ve sought apart from the Savior, God can redeem it for his glory.