My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jeremiah 2:13).

One of my early childhood memories is of my brother and me drinking water from an artesian well. Over the years that memory faded. Then came the day—sixty years later--when my mother and I re-visited my deceased great-grandparents’ farmhouse, home of that intriguing artesian well. A long drink of that amazing water brought my childhood memory flooding back. 

Artesian well or artesian spring water is unique for its source, its delivery, its purity and its ability to sustain and refresh. (At least this was true in the western Appalachian foothills of Ohio through the early 2000’s.)

God, via Jeremiah’s prophecy, refers to Himself as “the spring of living water.” He, too, is unique for His source, His delivery, His purity, and His sustaining and refreshing power.

God’s life is eternal—with no beginning and no end. The good that flows from Him has always flowed and is going to keep flowing forever. (The fact my memorable artesian well water had been flowing long before I drank it as a child and was still flowing sixty years later says something!)

As an artesian spring freely delivers water, God freely delivers Himself. All that is required of us is that we recognize our thirst and drink what He supplies—Himself. Then He keeps delivering, flowing through us out to others.

As artesian spring water is pure, God’s life is pure and cleansing. There are no contaminants in Him. We can drink of Him without fear and to our hearts’ content. 

As artesian spring water refreshes and sustains, God’s life refreshes us while quenching our thirst. Just as we require water, we require Him to sustain us and to renew our strength.

A “self-made man” (or woman) is one who has poured his (or her) energy into building a life. Or, as per God’s metaphor, into digging/building a cistern to hold their water. (In this respect, we have all endeavored to be self-made people.)

The problem is that we humans weren’t designed to depend on ourselves/cisterns. We were designed to receive and flow with the living water of God. Trusting in self-made lives ensures we are left with stagnant water leaking from broken cisterns.

The good news is that at any time—even if 60 years have passed--we can restart by returning to The Spring of Living Water and drinking the Memorable Amazing Water only He can provide.

Rather than bemoaning the way we are, let’s spend time with God appreciating the way He is. Try choosing one of those characteristics listed above and meditating on the truth of it today.