My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells. (Jeremiah 2:13 – NCV)I’ve never dug a well, but I have dug trenches for footers and water lines. It is hot, dirty work. Thankfully, a back hoe did most of the work for the water line. If you’ve ever done that kind of digging, especially by hand, you will understand the absurdity of the people’s choice, and the frustration felt by Jeremiah. Put yourself in their place. It’s a hot, dry day. Someone offers you a pitcher of pure, refreshing ice water. Rather than accept this life-saving, thirst-quenching gift, you raise your hands in the international symbol for stop, and declare, No, I’m going to dig my own well. Not only is the work going to be physically exhausting, but the water you’re going to get (if any) is hours, maybe days, away. Not to mention that it will taste terrible by comparison. Sure, it might keep you alive, but that’s about it.
Why would anyone make a choice like that? Why is it when God freely offers us his best love, we find ourselves prone to go dig up something greatly inferior?
We’re like hemoglobin. (How’s that for a left turn?) Did you know that if the hemoglobin in our red blood cells is given the choice, it prefers to bond with carbon monoxide rather than oxygen? What that means is that if hemoglobin has a vacant seat, and both an oxygen molecule and a carbon monoxide molecule are waiting on the curb, the hemoglobin will pick up the carbon monoxide almost every time. The problem is that carbon monoxide doesn’t have what we need, and so hemoglobin can fill us up with CO and our tissues will suffocate… and so will we.
For every gift that God offers us, Satan has a counterfeit that will choke us to death. We would do well to heed Moses’ words: I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
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