Through the Bible - Isaiah 41-42, Mark 10:32-52
Good morning,
In one of his songs Steve Green sang, "and hearts deceived can only know a chasing of the wind". Chasing the wind brings to mind Solomon's words from Ecclesiastes 2:17-18 "So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." NIV Solomon's heart had been deceived. He had departed from God and fell pray to chasing the wind, following his own hearts desires and not God's desires for the best for him.
Today you might compare it to the "rat race" or the "desire to acquire". It's the picture of a gerbil running faster and faster on the wheel in his cage, never really getting anywhere. That's how it is with acquiring stuff, stuff that won't last, is soon left aside, traded in or sold in a garage sale.
For today's verses we'll go to Jeremiah 17 where we see the stark contrast between the person who trusts in the Lord and the person who trusts in man, trusts in himself and in his own strength. Verses 5 and 6 describe the man who trusts in himself, he turns away from the Lord and ends up as a "shrub in the desert" in the parched places in a lonely land. It is very different for the man who trusts in the Lord.
Jer 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 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." ESV
Reading these verses I had the picture in my mind of a scrub oak in arid country. The leaves look like that of an oak tree but it will never reach its full potential. Like many desert plants, the root system is week and it starves for water much of the year. The oak tree planted near a stream will be different. It's roots go down and are well developed. They are deep enough and close enough to the stream that they have a continual supply of water, even in drought. The leaves are green and the tree produces fruit every year.
whose trust is the Lord.
8 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." ESV
Reading these verses I had the picture in my mind of a scrub oak in arid country. The leaves look like that of an oak tree but it will never reach its full potential. Like many desert plants, the root system is week and it starves for water much of the year. The oak tree planted near a stream will be different. It's roots go down and are well developed. They are deep enough and close enough to the stream that they have a continual supply of water, even in drought. The leaves are green and the tree produces fruit every year.
Which will you choose to resemble? Only God can satisfy our souls. Read the words from the Steve Green song A Chasing of the Wind, let the words of the song and the passage from Jeremiah speak to you today.
Every heart is filled with longing
To be free from all life's pain
Yet the search through earthly pleasures
Always ends in vain
Only God who made the heavens
Can satisfy our souls
Apart from Him and all His meaning
All things fail as they begin
And hearts deceived
Can only know
A chasing of the wind
All achievements, all possessions
All with time return to dust
Only God can be our reason
For deep and quiet trust
He will guard us from the dangers
That gladly make men fools
Apart from Him and all His meaning
All things fail as they begin
And hearts deceived
Can only know
A chasing of the wind
A chasing of the wind
Why do we live without Jesus?
Why do we waste another day?
He is the life that sustains us
The only hope for us today
So tell me, why do we live
Why do we live without Him?
To be free from all life's pain
Yet the search through earthly pleasures
Always ends in vain
Only God who made the heavens
Can satisfy our souls
Apart from Him and all His meaning
All things fail as they begin
And hearts deceived
Can only know
A chasing of the wind
All achievements, all possessions
All with time return to dust
Only God can be our reason
For deep and quiet trust
He will guard us from the dangers
That gladly make men fools
Apart from Him and all His meaning
All things fail as they begin
And hearts deceived
Can only know
A chasing of the wind
A chasing of the wind
Why do we live without Jesus?
Why do we waste another day?
He is the life that sustains us
The only hope for us today
So tell me, why do we live
Why do we live without Him?
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Jer 17:5-14
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Jer 17:5-14
5 Thus says the Lord:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.6 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.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.8 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."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick;who can understand it?10 "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways,according to the fruit of his deeds."
11 Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.
12 A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame;those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water. ESV
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.6 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.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.8 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."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick;who can understand it?10 "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways,according to the fruit of his deeds."
11 Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.
12 A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame;those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water. ESV
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