THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF OUR LIVES

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.
⁶ That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes.  They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

 ⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”  ⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  Jer. 17:5-9

 

 

As I sit here at the table attempting to rest on my "Sabbath Day", I'm challenged by this verse, and more so by the very last text in this scripture excerpt...."The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?"  Because we live in a culture where we follow our hearts (emotions/feelings) more than we follow the LORD.   I mean think about it.....do we REALLY allow the LORD to lead us in many of the decisions that we make?   We all make hundreds if not thousands of decisions a day, some that impact people immediately, some that impact a few, some that have the potential to literally change the world....and I wonder do we ever really consider the LORD when we "pull the trigger" on whatever the decision is for the moment.

 

Preceding this 9th verse God says "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, relies on their abilities, and whose heart turns away from the Lord."  This is devastating to whomever is this person.  In this section of Jeremiah this was written to the people of Judah regarding their sin.  But if this is our/my devotional verse for the day....one has to answer these questions to get to the single most important question of our lives.

 

1)  Do you, are you trusting in a man/woman?  (Whether it's your pastor or the president...or whomever do you "trust in them" or do you "trust them to be human, and capable of making a mistake," that is forgivable under the eyes of God.)

 

2) Do you rely on your own strength or someone else's on a regular bases, so much so that you find yourself relying less and less on the Holy Spirit? (Is your faith your default, or the last resort?)

 

3) Has your heart turned away from the Lord?  (This is probably the biggest.....because it's impossible to be a complainer with your heart facing Christ.)  When we can find more fault in, or about than be thankful for......your heart is in a bad place.    Not only is it in bad place, but it will lead you to a darker place.   Verse 9 reminds us that the heart is deceitful in other words it's skilled at getting or attempting to manipulate people or things to get what it wants.  This is why we have a culture that does what feels good, not what's good for it.   This is why marriages end.   This is why many people leave jobs, schools, churches, cities, etc.....because they actually believe that JESUS or GOD wants them to feel good, and be comfortable.  

 

Last time I checked....Jesus challenged his followers to drop what they were doing and follow Him.   He told some to sell all they had, and follow Him.    He told others to let the dead bury their own dead, and follow Him.   He cared about their heart being turned toward the Father, so much so that their bodies followed their hearts desire to be with and connected to Him.  

 

I don't recall Jesus asking his disciples ever...."How did that make you feel?"  Nor did Paul ever ask for feedback regarding any of his letters......it wasn't that they weren't compassionate....they were actually extremely compassionate, but they knew the heart of man, and the only way to keep that heart from ruining their lives and the ministry was to encourage them to keep their hearts turned toward the will of God.   So the single most important question is not, what you are thinking, or how do you feel about....., or what would you like to do?   

 

It's:  What is GOD, JESUS, the HOLY SPIRIT telling you to do? (Not what you think....but what are they actually telling you to do.)   God was/is always specific....He didn't tell Abraham to  climb any mountain.  He didn't tell Noah to build whatever he wanted to build.   He didn't tell David you'll be someones king.   He didn't say I'm sending a Savior, but you won't know who He is.  Jesus reminds us that His sheep, know His voice...so whatever the decision put your heart in check and do what Christ has specifically told you to do. 

 

As for me........I know I'm to remain focused on the GREAT COMMISSION and COMMANDMENT (which equips me to fulfill changing lives, transforming communities, or whatever the mission is) and leave the rest to Him, so that I really don't have time to complain about...because there's work to do in me, and around me through loving God, and loving people.  What are THEY (the Trinity) telling you to do?  Be Blessed