Fountains and Cisterns

My heart was drawn to the image of Jeremiah this morning. He spoke the Word of God to a people that had forgotten how to trust in God's saving grace. They turned from the living fountain, preferring instead to dig cisterns. As a former desert dweller I want to say a good word about cisterns. They are the desert dwellers life insurance for times of extended drought. Yet I suppose the problem with cisterns is our reliance upon them. As with anything we build and rely upon, cisterns are subject to decay. If we forget how to travel with God and keep alert for fountains along our path, then we forget the source of life and its purpose.