Relevant Life

I was taking a relaxing walk today ,outside, during the midst of this Coronavirus mess. People were walking from others in a distance. Some were wearing a mask, others had gloves, and others just acted normal. Everyone had a sense of caution as individuals passed by. It is a different world right now. Not sure when this will end. The government knows way more than what they are letting on about this virus. There are viruses which hit the human race every year. What makes this one any different? Only the Lord knows. As I was thinking about all of this; I sat down on a bench and felt like the Lord was giving me some truths from Jeremiah 17. I thought I would share it with all of you.

Jeremiah 17:5-6 GW  “This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.  (6)  He will be like a bush in the wilderness. He will not see when something good comes. He will live in the dry places in the desert, in a salty land where no one can live.

Right now, it is so easy to trust mankind. We listen to doctors and infectious disease professionals. Not saying that we should not listen to their advice but they do not have the final say over life in general. It is easy to trust in flesh and blood which takes away our trust in the Lord. People who trust in themselves and in mankind are like a bush in the wilderness which blocks their view from the truth or from God’s eternal workings. It is important that we turn to the Lord during this time and during life in general.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 GW  Blessed is the person who trusts the LORD. The LORD will be his confidence.  (8)  He will be like a tree that is planted by water. It will send its roots down to a stream. It will not be afraid in the heat of summer. Its leaves will turn green. It will not be anxious during droughts. It will not stop producing fruit.

The Lord was comforting me with this verse. Trusting the Lord is so important for all believers. We have someone greater working for our behave. We have nothing to fear for our God is for us. Do we truly believe this? Trusting in the Lord is like being a tree firmly planted in the ground with strong roots. The roots bring life to the tree and protection from the storms. Doum Palm or the Gingerbread tree, grows near the rivers in Israel. It can grow up to 56 Feet with a girth of about 3 feet. It produces dates that are edible and the whole tree is used for a variety of purposes. The tree is resilient from drought and fire. Our trust in the Lord, makes us  strong like the Gingerbread tree to where we can stand against the storm and still produce fruit. Be a Gingerbread tree.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 GW  “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.  (10)  I, the LORD, search minds and test hearts. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions.

This last passage hit my heart. The Human mind is truly deceitful and convinces us that we don’t need a living God. It tells many that there are many paths to God. It is deceitful and corrupt to where people think they can serve themselves without any consequences. God is very clear. He searches the minds and tests the hearts of man. He is very clear that He will reward every person according to their actions good or bad. We can’t think that the Lord will over look our actions. Just like a judge would not overlook someone standing before him who had committed a crime. We deserve judgement for our actions. The key is to ensure our actions are more from the heart of righteousness than from unrighteousness.

Please take heed to these truths from Jeremiah 17.