Monday, August 2, 2021
Empty Jars
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah concerning the great drought: The nobles send their servants for water, but when they come to the cisterns they find no water and return with empty jars.
Jeremiah portrays the Lord as an avenging God in this chapter, one who exacts heavy consequences for lapses and recalcitrance. Yahweh laments those slain by the sword and those consumed by hunger. In Jeremiah’s day, pagan people believed they created positive circumstances in their lives by placating little gods, and Yahweh’s faithful also look at their relationship with God in this strictly dual manner: those who obey will prosper and flourish while those who disobey are punished.
Ashamed, despairing, they cover their heads because of the stricken soil; because there is no rain in the land the farmers are ashamed, they cover their heads.
And so the people rail against their creator, asking for help and intercession.
Why are you like a man dumbfounded, a champion who cannot save? You are in our midst, O Lord, your name we bear: do not forsake us!
God says: I have never forsaken you. I am with you still. Did I not call you into being? Do I not call to you each morning, noon and night? Do I not abide with you even during those times when I see that I am completely forgotten by you? I understand the appeal of the world for it is my creation. I understand your need to feel comfortable and safe when dreadful circumstances surround you. Put away this fear and allow me to surround you with my love. Allow me to fill your dry cisterns and your empty jars for when I fill them they will brim to overflowing. When I fill them, you will never perish of thirst. When I fill you there is no need of well or vessel. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and then end. I am the transformation and the resurrection. I am all you will ever need.
Spend a few minutes today giving thanks for . . .
The Living God who never abandons us even when we have turned away,
The Eternal God who sustains us even when we have gone astray,
The Wondrous God who loves us . . . beyond all measure and imagining.
To reflect again on how we might learn to trust that God in our midst, enter the words The Lord Surrounds Us into the blog search bar and explore.
To learn more about ancient water jars or hyriai, click on the image above or go to: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gkhy/hd_gkhy.htm
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