Page 4 - Good News February 2018 paper

"For My people have committed
plan!
two evils: they have forsaken Me,
the Fountain of living waters, and There is nothing more frustrating
they have hewn for themselves than trying to do something
cisterns, broken cisterns which about something you cannot do
cannot hold water" (Jeremiah anything about. It is similar to
2:13). having your car stuck in the mud
and continuing to press the acce-
The people in Jeremiah 2:13 lerator down and spin your
worked hard to dig wells for wheels until you burn up the
themselves, but their wells could engine. We often burn out from
not hold water. I am sure they weariness due to "works of the
were very disappointed when flesh," which are works that do
they did not get the result they not work!
wanted after working so hard.
Many times we make a plan and
I know what it is like to work hard then pray for it to work. God
with no results. I have spent many wants us to pray first and ask Him
years of my life digging "empty for His plan. After we have His
wells" like these, and that plan, then He wants us to trust
frustrated and discouraged me. It Him to bring it to pass.
took me a long time to realize that Our activity birthed out of the
unless "the Lord builds the flesh actually prevents God from
house, they labour in vain who showing Himself strong in our
build it" (Psalm 127:1). lives. That is not the way to live
the higher life that God has
You may be digging an empty well prepared for us. Ask God to help
right now. You may be working on you and lead you as you work, so
something or somebody. You may that your efforts will be pro-
have your own little project going ductive.
on, but you are doing it your way.
You may be following your own [The Everyday Life Bible, Ampli-
little plan, trying to make things fied Old and New Testament,
happen in your own strength and Notes and Commentary by Joyce
ability. If so, it is not going to work Meyer, Faith Word, Hatchette
if you have left God out of your Book Group, USA, 2006].