Jeremiah 17:5-8
This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it's leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
I can relate to the concept of refuge from fear and worry. Going to God when I am upset or worried truly is just like having a safe place, free from fear, and full of hope and encouragement. Having God as my refuge helps me to avoid worrying about things in the future, which haven't even happened. Bad things will happen, but we will always have God to turn to.
Holy Lord, today I turn to you, to free me from useless fears and anxiety. I am so thankful for your grace and your precious gifts of your son, Jesus, and your Holy Spirit. May I never forget or turn away. Amen
Becky, transforming
Pic by Kay
Thursday, August 17th, 2023
Jeremiah 17:5-8
Thus says the Lord: cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
Jeremiah…
Jeremiah 17:5-8
I do not know the chronology on this, but I wonder if the prophet Jeremiah was paraphrasing Psalm 1 in his message to those who were trusting in humans, but not in God. Here is Psalm 1:
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the…
Jeremiah 17:5-8
This is a great set of verses for those of us who like to be in control. We value self-reliance, often to a fault. I know I can be like this. I do know, however, that when out of control, I know who to turn to. In the Message translation, I loved these lines in verse 7. “but blessed is the man who trusts me, God and the woman who sticks with God, that’s me!
Prayer: Gracious God, when this controlling woman is out of control, be my refuge always. Amen