Jeremiah 17:7-8
7
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
And whose hope is the Lord.
8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear[a] when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit. New King James Version (NKJV)
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear[a] when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit. New King James Version (NKJV)
Today's verses from Jeremiah 17 remind us of Psalm chapter 1 and the tree firmly planted. The idea is of the tree being "planted", not there randomly. We are not here randomly, God has planted us where we are and He provides for us day by day, where we are. There may be a drought, the land may be parched but the tree has roots that go down deep, and reach the waters below the surface of the parched ground.
So it is with God's Word in us. We may be facing times of drought, rough spots in our lives where on the surface it may not look like we'd be able to survive. But if we are rooted in God, His Word and have His Spirit in our lives, we have a source of strength that is not visible to the naked eye.
The passage goes on to say in verse 10 that God searches the heart and tests the mind. He knows our situation, the condition of our heart. Blessed are the ones who place their hope and trust in God. Sometimes we need to look below the surface to see the blessings, but if we open our eyes and our hearts and look closely we will see the faithfulness of God and be able to count His blessings.
Max Lucado writes, "Make this your thank God day. Focus on the blessings, whether they are as simple as a beautiful tree or as profound as peace of mind. Perhaps you could thank Him for your old neighbor, your stubborn child, your gas guzzling car, your boss - thank God for all things." These words bring the lines from the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" to mind, "blessings all mine with ten thousand beside".
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Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! "Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!" Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me! |
Jeremiah 17:5-10The Message (MSG)
5-6 God's Message:
"Cursed is the strong one
who depends on mere humans,
Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone
and sets God aside as dead weight.
He's like a tumbleweed on the prairie,
out of touch with the good earth.
He lives rootless and aimless
in a land where nothing grows.
who depends on mere humans,
Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone
and sets God aside as dead weight.
He's like a tumbleweed on the prairie,
out of touch with the good earth.
He lives rootless and aimless
in a land where nothing grows.
7-8 "But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
the woman who sticks with God.
They're like trees replanted in Eden,
putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
bearing fresh fruit every season.
the woman who sticks with God.
They're like trees replanted in Eden,
putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
bearing fresh fruit every season.
9-10
"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be."
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be."
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