“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars…
“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.’
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
‘I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.'” Jeremiah 17:1,5-10
Isaiah addresses a people who had been provided with God’s riches, yet gone after strange gods. They, as all people from the beginning of time, faced the recurring decision of how to handle God’s commands and gifts, and thus affect the trajectory of their lives. The Lord repeatedly made a distinction between the blessings and curses that would follow man’s choices, and His people had made theirs. Rebellion, rejection, idolatry, and wasting of God’s offered bounty left them weak, dry, and fruitless. Even so, the merciful Lord offered the blessedness of trusting Him anew. (Genesis 2:16-17; Deuteronomy 11:26-32; Joshua 24:15)
Barren desert shrub or lush tree? Every small decision, every investment of affection, every expenditure of time takes and yields something. We are affected by what we entertain, and reap what we sow with our talents and hours. Do we want to flourish with fruitfulness, joy, and peace, or languish in drought, waste, and anxiety? (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; Galatians 6:7-9)
Daily we face choices how to build our lives, whose voice we will heed, where to put time and energy to use, what company we will keep. Blessedness from the Lord comes from consistent delight in Him and living out His word. Do we nurture and guard our foundation of truth, or sample every new idea the world offers? Whose enticements do we entertain? How carefully do we tend our involvements to keep them healthy and aligned with the Lord’s will?
Will we ask the Lord to show us what changes need be made to become a strong tree? Unless we feed on Him and remain close to His care and partake of His living water, we will wither away like shrubs. (John 7:37-38)
“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;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
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.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Psalm 1:1-4
Father, let me never waste Your resources, but thrive to Your glory.
As the rain and snow 