The Fountain of Living Waters

Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children's children I will contend. For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 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.   
(Jeremiah 2:9-13)

Jeremiah (more specifically, God, through Jeremiah) is warning the people of Judah about their great sin: IDOLATRY.

Idolatry is anything of higher importance in your life than God Himself. It's crazy in our age today, just as it was rampant in ancient Judah. 

(1) Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children's children I will contend. (verse 9)

 - The LORD was contending [putting up] with them. We don't only want Him to contend with us, but to rejoice in us! Yet when we put something between Him and us, we divide ourselves from God. We can be as close to God as we want to be. Our sin hinders that relationship, as God cannot be apart of sin.

(2) For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. (verse 10)

 - It's not only Judah God is warning, but far to Cyprus and Kedar... aka: the WHOLE WORLD. You.

(3) Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. (verse 11)

 - Judah's glory had previously been in their Almighty LORD. There are no gods except Christ! But we try to find them all the same. 

Idolatry does not profit. 

(4) Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD. (verse 12)

 - God demands a severe response to idolatry: to be appalled, shocked, and utterly desolate. Are we?

Jeremiah 2:9-13 is one of God's many warnings against idolatry. But what do we do? We enjoy it! We live in it. We ignore it. How sinful we are!

I believe this is the greatest sin a human being can commit. Yet it is the one we choose to ignore in our personal lives every single day. (That thing you just thought of is probably your idol. You might be looking at it right now!) If it wasn't the greatest sin, the greatest commandment wouldn't be: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. (Matthew 22:37 & 38)

The first and second of the Ten Commandments are dedicated to idolatry. 

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:4 & 5)

All the bases are covered.

God hated it then, He hates it now. 

They stirred Him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. (Deuteronomy 32:16)

God is angry with our idolatry: yours and mine. Oh, for Him to delight in us! 

You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight... for the LORD delights in you... (Isaiah 62:4)

We have forsaken Him just as the people of Judah did. Every day we have two choices: God or something other than Him. 

Sadly, we choose the latter all too often. 

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. (Jeremiah 2:13)

The LORD declares that He is the Fountain of Living Waters.

We have dug for ourselves "broken cisterns that can hold no water." We choose to idolize something other than Him! We forget that only He can satisfy us: our every need and desire! He alone gives life: He is the fountain of living water!

What wrong did your fathers find in Me that they went far from Me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? (Jeremiah 2:4)

You become like what you pursue. 

If you pursue God, you will become like Him. If you pursue something other than Him - idolatry - you will be come like whatever that may be: your phone, your car, career, money, family, your appearance... Anything our minds can think of. 

Pursue Christ.

But how do we do that?

When you love someone, you spend time with them. You endeavor to learn what makes them unique, to learn the "why" to their actions and purpose.
It's the same with God. We can't see Him, but He hasn't sent us into the world clueless of how to live for Him. He gave us His beautiful Word, the Holy Bible. It is filled with knowledge of Him and "why" He is Who He is. It is a Book about Him: filled with Him. It is overflowing with His attributes and stories of His providence and protection.

There is a good chance most of us own at least one of these Books. I challenge you to read it: know God. Delight yourself in Him, and He will delight in you.

Remember: No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)

We will give an account as for what we pursue during our life on Earth. He knows our thoughts and intentions: worship Him alone with the time you are given!

<3 Berea