Broken Cisterns

Politicians, leaders, political groups, laws, revolution, rebellion, name calling, pushing back, racial and gender equality, "having a voice", awareness, raising money, comforts, privilege, freedom, good vibes, lobbying, positive thinking, good health, having a "tribe", mental health, environmentalism, recycling, "doing you", having a good time (whatever that looks like for different people), strengthening borders, opening borders, raising wages, equal opportunity, restricting or banning weapons, political correctness, eradicating "hate speech"--trying to offend everyone, hopefully I didn't leave anyone out—

NONE of these things ever can or will solve the world's problems.

Even GOOD things, like the establishing of biblical marriage, the abolition of abortion, freedom to pray, worship, assemble peaceably, homeschooling, providing for the poor and needy, charitable work...none of these things SOLVE the problem. While these are worthwhile pursuits, especially for believers (some more than others), and while they may mitigate some problems, the roots don't go away. They will only take another form.

All the above attempts to solve the problems of humanity are like cancer cells in the body trying to get together and rearrange their society. They're still cancerous.

Our problem is sin. SIN. It's in our hearts. It's engrained in our very selves.

There's only one solution. There's only one way out of this mess.

It's not attractive. It's not "fun." It's not powerful, or empowering. It definitely doesn't feed any self-esteem. It's extremely humbling and requires recognition of the fact that no matter what we do, we are still cancerous. It goes against the grain of all our pride.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isa 55:6-9

"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
Acts 17:30-31

"But now... the righteousness of God has been manifested...even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Romans 3:21-26

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared...But now Christ has been raised from the dead...for since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."
1 Cor 15:3-5,20-22

"...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Romans 10:9-10

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come,
buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.
Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David."
Isaiah 55:1-3

Our pride and love of self hates all this. We scoff. We come up with any and all excuses for not listening to the word of God, lest we be confronted with something we don't like. We won't read carefully or weigh its words. We won't even consider the possibility that it might be true, even if every man who claims to know or teach it be a liar (Romans 3:4).

The Bible tells us God is perfect, in every way conceivable (Deut. 32:4). This is not according to any person's standard, because God is subject to no man's judgment (if He were, He wouldn't be God!). This perfect God is blameless and perfectly good. He is the epitome of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And yet somehow, sinful man--we who are full of hatred, bitterness, fighting, selfishness; demanding, harsh, fickle, and abandoned to fulfilling our own desires at any cost--elevate our worth and opinions to be far above that of this perfect God. We chase after the "remedies" above...which the Bible calls "broken cisterns"...and relentlessly scrape their dry interiors while ignoring the fountain of fresh water flowing just beyond the wall of our pride.

"Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate," declares the Lord. "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water." 

Jeremiah 2:11-13

Oh people, your remedies are useless! Forsake that which cannot save! Look to God, who knows and loves and provides, and abundantly cleanses and pardons! Look to the provision of Jesus Christ, His perfect Son, on the cross! Let not your pride keep you from that which brings life to your soul! Ask Him to dismantle the wall of arrogance and self-righteousness and love of self and sin! He is gracious and hears when we turn to Him, realizing the uselessness and emptiness and bankruptcy of our own solutions, which are no solutions at all.

"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other." 

Isaiah 45:22