#DailyDevotion Which Path Are You On?
Jeremiah 17:5–8 [Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord]
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
It’s like Jeremiah just read Psa 1:1-6 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; (2) but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (3) He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (4) The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. (5) Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; (6) for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
There are two paths in life. You might think you may be on a third, but if you do, you are deceived, you’re on the wrong path. There are paths of light and darkness, life and death, and faith and misplaced faith. So Jeremiah compares the paths of trust and misplaced trust.
The misplaced trust is when we trust man and the strength of man. We may place our trust in politicians, political parties, nations, our parents, sport celebrities and a host of other people. We think they can solve all our problems and supply us everything we need in life. Of course there are numerous other things we may place our trust in like science and technology or many other things in creation. Never the less when we place our trust in these people, places and things to solve our problem and provide everything we need in life physical, emotional and spiritual, we have a heart that has turned away from the Lord. So Jeremiah calls us shrubs in the desert. We will be unfruitful to the Lord. We will be dried up like chaff and we will perish likewise. The root of our being is not in the root of our being.
But if your trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ, if that is where you look to the solution of your problem today, if he is where you look to supply all your needs in life, then you are like a tree planted by water. The roots of your being will go forth and we watered by the Spirit of our God. You will not whither with life hits will all of its tragedies and problems. You will not grow anxious when things don’t look like they’re going so well. Indeed you will bear the fruit of the Spirit and eternal life. Jesus has said, not to be anxious, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things in life we worry about our Father in heaven will take care of them
Heb 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” A different object of our love and trust but the same applies. We have a promise from the Lord he will never leave us or forsake us. It matters not what may be going on in our lives. This still rings true. So put your trust in the Lord.
Gracious and merciful Father, you call us to put our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and not in created things with the promise we will not whither but remain strong and bear fruit in the midst of adversity. Grant to us such faith that our trust would always remain our Lord Jesus who is the water of life now and unto eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.