How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. Lamentations 1:1,2 NIV (read the entire chapter)Many of us know how we feel when we reach the end of a drink and there is nothing more to replenish it. Remember when kids--who emptied the bottle of pop or juice--after the last swallow-- would turn it upside down and shake it--disappointed by its emptiness.
How many people remember a piece of cake or pie--the last piece--and they thought they would have an opportunity to eat it, but when they went to get it--it was gone; someone else had those same thoughts. And because our taste buds were ready for that--something--nothing else will pacify it.
When I look around our society, I feel the emptiness--the void--that keeps encroaching and widening by hatred and bigotry, divisive because love has left the scene and the emptiness it leaves is felt by the multitudes.
Dare I look into a person's face walking the street and see the emptiness in their eyes where hope no longer has a place to hide deep in their soul. Blank stares are met with wonder--how did we get to this place?
"Where am I and what am I doing here and does anyone care that I am empty and need to be filled beyond capacity with love--God's love--overflowing so light can be seen again, dispelling the darkness that pervades my soul?"
There is more than one person, wandering aimlessly in our midst--trying to figure out what happened and why they have no joy or peace. The answer is really quite simple. Our soul longs for the direction and instructions from God because apart from Him, there is no joy or peace. When the love of God ceases to exist within, other foul spirits take up residence and cloud our minds and soul, keeping us from the inviting light of love, leading us to think the darkness is how it should be, but oh how empty it leaves us!
So, in our midst are multitudes of people who thought that ignoring God's Word and rejecting His love would bring them a measure of happiness, but when they gave into the fleshly dictates--discovered just how empty they were.
When people are empty--they try anything to fill the void--they turn to drugs and alcohol, arrogance and deceit, manipulation and lies, bigotry and hate, perversion and subversion--anything--to make them feel whole again, except--a visit to the fountain. At the fountain of love where Jesus waits--to fill us so we'll want no more--there is peace and joy and we can have our fill and return again and again, never having to know emptiness again, but will we go?
What the soul craves is not the dictates of this world, but the promise of eternity and how to enjoy life where we are. Come to the fountain and be filled! Come to Jesus, right now, repent of everything that's not like Him, and allow to Him to replace all the earthiness--desires of the flesh--with Love!
There is no one like Jesus who can fill us till we want no more and never have to thirst again or know emptiness that debilitates and destroys. Hallelujah!
