24 January 2009

Jeremiah 17:5-8


For the last two weeks the men's discipleship group at my church has been meditating on Jeremiah 17:5-8. In light of all the media attention given to the inauguration as well as some personal things happening in my life (as things happen in every one's lives) these verses were very timely in God's Providence. I'm going to finish off this weekend ruminating on the verses and being thankful. Thoughts on these verses anyone?

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5-8

2 comments:

Gordan said...

Hi, Renegade.

I think it's cool that Jeremiah was obviously meditating on Psalm 1 at this point.

Jeremiah holds out the distinction between the two sorts of tree as having to do with trust, and where your hope is placed.

In Psalm 1, that "trust" (which is kind of an esoteric word, in that you can't see it inside someone's heart) is made manifest by this:

Whose advice are you taking? Whose direction is guiding you? Where do you go for wisdom?

And then the contrast is between those who walk in the counsel of the ungodly and those who meditate in the word of God day and night.

So...to tie the two passages together a bit, the place that you run for counsel and wisdom, that is what you're trusting, whether it is flesh or Spirit.

Reformed Renegade said...

Hey Gordan,
So cool to hear from you! Thanks for the insight - always appreciated, my friend.