Read the Word: Jeremiah 17:5-8
Meditate on the Word:
“This is what the Lord says.” These six words at the beginning of this passage hold a great deal of weight. Jeremiah is not speaking from his own mind or will. He is speaking what God Himself has commanded the prophet to speak. It is the Lord who gives the comparison that we see in the rest of the passage.
The comparison we see is “the person who trusts in mankind” vs. “the person who trusts in the Lord.” What a huge difference there is in the result of the lives of these two people. To trust in people is to trust in the created instead of the Creator. It is to trust in faulty humans instead of the perfect God who created them. Our plans are never as perfect as we think they are, and when they are out of God’s will, they leave us empty and alone. In our world, we continue to see the results of trusting in mankind. People’s lives, despite being filled with more possessions, entertainment, and access to knowledge, are more empty and lonely than at any point in history.
The person who trusts in the Lord, by contrast, keeps his roots in the source of life, our Lord. I found out a few years ago that tree roots really do grow toward a source of water. In this case, it was the drain tiles surrounding my basement, which damaged my basement. But the trees around my home did naturally what we should do intentionally. We must keep our trust in the Lord and allow ourselves to be nourished by Him. Only in this way can we be fruitful in our lives.
Pray the Word:
Pray that the Lord will point out to you any areas where you may be trusting people instead of Him. Then resolve to trust in Him.
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