This
is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength
from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. But blessed is the
one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream.” Jeremiah
17:5, 7-8a
There is a marked difference between trusting in man and
trusting in God. One is the creature,
the other the creator of the creature.
When you look at it that way perhaps it reveals the folly in trusting
men at all. Men are immensely flawed. Were
they not they wouldn’t need someone to save them from themselves. Mortal man feels confident that going to
church and devoting oneself to God’s service is fine for some, but not for
them. Let the women go to church; men
need to provide for their families.
Apparently they see no correlation between provision and the creator of
all things. The disconnect is obvious
and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
People in general turn from “religious” things never
realizing that it isn’t religion at all, but a personal relationship. It’s difficult to many men to shed their
outward toughness in favor of a sensitive, God-loving heart. To love God is to
serve Him. To serve Him is to be open to
being used as a vehicle for the message God seeks to present to fallen man. This flies in the face of what the world has
defined men to be. Men are to be rugged,
take charge, type-A personalities who show no weakness. We were told years ago that the ideal man was
a “Marlboro” man. He roped calves,
busted broncs, took no guff, all with a Marlboro cigarette in his mouth. That was the world’s definition of a man’s
man. A godly man just didn’t fit their
image.
Placing your trust in man is a foolhardy endeavor that leads
you nowhere of any significance. The
‘things’ we provide through our hard work will in time fade away from this
earth. God alone provides that which we
are reluctant to admit we truly seek.
We are the tree; the Lord is the stream of cool water that refreshes
us. The tree’s roots stretch out seeking sustenance from the stream. The stream is ever present and never fails to
quench our thirst. Don’t seek the wisdom
and sustaining power of men, for you will come up lacking every time. Rather, lean heavily on the strength of the
Lord for He will not fail you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a
blessing!
