In Jeremiah 17:5-8, God spoke through his prophet to the wayward people of Judah.
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.
On the other hand…
_________________ 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.
This most fundamental of choices continues to be made. It is a choice you will make today.
- Cursed or blessed?
- Like a shrub or a tree?
- The desert or the stream?
- The lack of any good or the absence of fear?
- The parched places of the wilderness or healthy endurance in the midst of the heat?
- An uninhabited salt land or bountiful fruit, even in the midst of drought?
On what does your choice hinge? The object of your trust.
- Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.
- Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
Why continue to suffer in the desert when you can thrive by the stream?