The Choice
Jeremiah 17: 5-8
5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. 6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.
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The Lord does not say that He will curse those who turn away from Him and trust in mere mortals. He says “Cursed are those…” as if that is simply the inevitable consequence of those who trust in mortals and whose hearts turn away from the Lord. Just like the desert shrub cannot be a fruitful tree planted by the water because, unlike the tree, it is in a parched place in the wilderness with no access to water.
Likewise, the Lord does not say He will bless those who trust in the Lord. He says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence (NIV) is in the Lord.” Again, it’s just the way things are. The tree planted by the water grows and bears fruit, no matter what. It is just a natural outcome of where it is planted. The tree doesn’t do anything to grow like that. Roots tend naturally towards the waters. It hasn’t earned its green leaves or its fruit. It is a natural outcome of being planted by the water.
Unlike the shrub and tree, however, as human beings we have a choice: To trust in the Lord or not to trust in the Lord; to put our confidence in mortals and flesh, or to put our confidence in the Lord.
Which is it going to be?
Look at the natural outcome of our choice. Which would you choose?
I have a confession. Lately, I turned my heart away from the Lord. I put my trust in mere mortals and the flesh, rather than in God. Even went so far as to declare, “Not only do I not want to praise God, I don’t want anything to do with Him.”
Not a good place to be.
It felt exactly like the parched places of the wilderness, with no relief in sight. Cursed. I blamed God for cursing me, when, perhaps, it was simply the inevitable outcome of having a misplaced confidence, and of having turned away from the Lord.
I don’t want to be a relief-less shrub in the parched wilderness anymore. I don’t want to feel cursed. Thankfully, there is a way out: to turn back to the Lord and put my trust and confidence in Him.
That choice is mine to make. The rest is up to Him.
See how the tree is “planted” by water? There is a permanence about being planted. The tree doesn’t move from place to place. That tree’s roots have access to the stream and moves naturally towards it. So it thrives, not just in good weather, but in heat…and even in drought. It always bears fruit. The tree can’t take credit for either the green leaves or the fruit. It is just a natural outcome of having been planted by the water, so its roots have access to the stream.
My faith has been uprooted recently and consequently, even when it felt real, it was weak and temporary, completely subject to the vicissitudes of my life. In good weather, it blossomed. When the heat came, it wilted. When the drought came, it died. Eventually, it turned away from the Lord, and I found myself cursed, as a shrub in the desert, parched, and dying.
Am I speaking to someone who shares this experience? I don’t want to go on like this. Do you?
Notice how the Lord says, “when the heat comes…” and “in the season of drought…”
Both of these are a part of the tree's existence. But, still, its leaves are green and it never ceases to bear fruit. Great weather is not permanent. It never is. Not even for that tree planted by the water.
But, planted by the water, its leaves stay green and it keeps bearing fruit.
Put your trust in the Lord. Let it be permanent. Put your confidence in Him. Turn to Him. Then, the Lord says, “Blessed” are you, in any season.
So, are you ready to move from cursed to blessed? Maybe you can’t be sure about the outcome of trusting in the Lord. There is still a part of me, too, that is in unbelief. But, what have we to lose in turning to the Lord and trusting Him? We already know what it feels like to be cursed when our trust and confidence is not in Him.
Why not take a chance on Him? It’s a choice our life depends on.
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Dear Lord,
Have mercy.
I have turned away from you and felt the consequences: Cursed. I want to choose another way. I want to turn back to you. I want to put my trust in you again. Please help me.
I want my confidence to be planted in You. Let my trust in You no longer vacillate. Let my confidence be in You and none other. The bearing of fruit, and the green of my leaves are up to You now.
Let me be planted by the water so that, even in this season of drought, my roots will turn to the living waters You provide.
I no longer want to be cursed. I choose to trust you, O Lord.
In the name of the Son of God, who calls us by name and gives us life more abundantly, I pray; in Jesus Christ’ name.
Amen.
5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. 6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.
---------------------------------------------
The Lord does not say that He will curse those who turn away from Him and trust in mere mortals. He says “Cursed are those…” as if that is simply the inevitable consequence of those who trust in mortals and whose hearts turn away from the Lord. Just like the desert shrub cannot be a fruitful tree planted by the water because, unlike the tree, it is in a parched place in the wilderness with no access to water.
Likewise, the Lord does not say He will bless those who trust in the Lord. He says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence (NIV) is in the Lord.” Again, it’s just the way things are. The tree planted by the water grows and bears fruit, no matter what. It is just a natural outcome of where it is planted. The tree doesn’t do anything to grow like that. Roots tend naturally towards the waters. It hasn’t earned its green leaves or its fruit. It is a natural outcome of being planted by the water.
Unlike the shrub and tree, however, as human beings we have a choice: To trust in the Lord or not to trust in the Lord; to put our confidence in mortals and flesh, or to put our confidence in the Lord.
Which is it going to be?
Look at the natural outcome of our choice. Which would you choose?
I have a confession. Lately, I turned my heart away from the Lord. I put my trust in mere mortals and the flesh, rather than in God. Even went so far as to declare, “Not only do I not want to praise God, I don’t want anything to do with Him.”
Not a good place to be.
It felt exactly like the parched places of the wilderness, with no relief in sight. Cursed. I blamed God for cursing me, when, perhaps, it was simply the inevitable outcome of having a misplaced confidence, and of having turned away from the Lord.
I don’t want to be a relief-less shrub in the parched wilderness anymore. I don’t want to feel cursed. Thankfully, there is a way out: to turn back to the Lord and put my trust and confidence in Him.
That choice is mine to make. The rest is up to Him.
See how the tree is “planted” by water? There is a permanence about being planted. The tree doesn’t move from place to place. That tree’s roots have access to the stream and moves naturally towards it. So it thrives, not just in good weather, but in heat…and even in drought. It always bears fruit. The tree can’t take credit for either the green leaves or the fruit. It is just a natural outcome of having been planted by the water, so its roots have access to the stream.
My faith has been uprooted recently and consequently, even when it felt real, it was weak and temporary, completely subject to the vicissitudes of my life. In good weather, it blossomed. When the heat came, it wilted. When the drought came, it died. Eventually, it turned away from the Lord, and I found myself cursed, as a shrub in the desert, parched, and dying.
Am I speaking to someone who shares this experience? I don’t want to go on like this. Do you?
Notice how the Lord says, “when the heat comes…” and “in the season of drought…”
Both of these are a part of the tree's existence. But, still, its leaves are green and it never ceases to bear fruit. Great weather is not permanent. It never is. Not even for that tree planted by the water.
But, planted by the water, its leaves stay green and it keeps bearing fruit.
Put your trust in the Lord. Let it be permanent. Put your confidence in Him. Turn to Him. Then, the Lord says, “Blessed” are you, in any season.
So, are you ready to move from cursed to blessed? Maybe you can’t be sure about the outcome of trusting in the Lord. There is still a part of me, too, that is in unbelief. But, what have we to lose in turning to the Lord and trusting Him? We already know what it feels like to be cursed when our trust and confidence is not in Him.
Why not take a chance on Him? It’s a choice our life depends on.
------------------------------
Dear Lord,
Have mercy.
I have turned away from you and felt the consequences: Cursed. I want to choose another way. I want to turn back to you. I want to put my trust in you again. Please help me.
I want my confidence to be planted in You. Let my trust in You no longer vacillate. Let my confidence be in You and none other. The bearing of fruit, and the green of my leaves are up to You now.
Let me be planted by the water so that, even in this season of drought, my roots will turn to the living waters You provide.
I no longer want to be cursed. I choose to trust you, O Lord.
In the name of the Son of God, who calls us by name and gives us life more abundantly, I pray; in Jesus Christ’ name.
Amen.
posted by Ruth at 2:07 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, Ruth. This is wise and true and bravely confessional. Thank you for sharing.
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