Blessed is the Man
There is no new thing under the sun. Over 2,500 years ago the nation of Judah was in major economic and social upheaval. In the face of all that fear Jehovah had a word for His people, which He gave to them through His prophet Jeremiah. It was quite simple:
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 [anxious] in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5-8
These words represent two totally different scenarios: one empty and dead, the other full of life and abundance. The same choice belongs to us today.
Here’s the deal, God says that whenever we trust in man, including ourselves, (I dare say, especially ourselves) above the Living God, we open ourselves to a curse. The Lord calls that “making flesh your arm.” The arm represents a man’s strength. Without God as our source of strength, we will be like the “heath in the desert.” A heath plant starts out with beautiful leaves which are quickly eaten by the wildlife. It spends the vast majority of its existence fruitless and naked in parched places that are not fit for habitation. It lives in a “salt land.” Nothing can grow there.
The man who trusts in himself above, or without God, will not only be like a scrawny scrub plant, but he will not even see when good is right in front of him. Ouch! He will miss the blessings that are there for the picking because he is trusting in his own abilities, and not the Living God. The “heath in the desert” is definitely NOT what we want to be.
BUT - Blessed is the man that TRUSTS in the Lord, whose HOPE the LORD is. The man who believes God, whose hope is in the Lord, in His promises, His provision, His protection, over and above what his five senses are telling him, will absolutely be blessed. He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out her roots by the river, and will not even be affected by the “drought,” the recession, or whatever other fears are plaguing the unbelievers of this world, including the carnal Christian.
The man who puts his trust in the Living God will not be anxious when everyone else around them is experiencing “drought,” but his leaf shall be green, his life shall not cease from yielding fruit. What a promise!
The choice is simple, put your trust in man, yourself, your own intellect and abilities, and fail; or put your trust in your heavenly Father, and succeed with His guidance, no matter what the circumstances around you look like. After all, God is eternal, the circumstances are temporary.
As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Josh. 24:15 Why? First and foremost, because we love HIM above all others, and we are secure in His love for us. And so we trust in the Lord to provide for us and our family as He has promised in His word. He is able to open supernatural windows of abundance in order to fulfill His promises, just like He has done plenty of other times for His children, it’s all through the Bible.
God is not a man that He should lie - ever! His words are true and amen.
My job is to focus on His promises to me over and above the crashing noise of the world. Yes, that takes discipline and focus, but it works every time.
I encourage your to re-read Jeremiah 17: 5-8. If God would make this awesome promise to Judah, a nation who had stabbed Him in the heart, and turned to idolatry, would He do any less for His children today? No. All He asked was that they turn their hearts back to Him.
Indeed, our Father will do even more for us today because we have been made righteous by the blood of His precious son, Jesus Christ. Therefore we can come boldly, right into the throne room of God, before His throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:16 What a comfort.
Fear not, but trust in the Living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Make up your mind today to trust in the Eternal God over the temporal fear and anxiety of the world. Trust God more than yourself. Trust God more than the government. Trust God more than the 6 o’clock news. Spend time in His presence, and let His love and encouragement fill your heart.
Blessings or cursing, you choose. I choose the word of the Lord God Almighty.
I have included a pdf. that I made to bless you. You can download it and put in a prominent place to remind you of God’s immutable promise: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.