We may not be the initial audience Jeremiah was preaching to, but we can still glean important messages that will help us on our own faith journeys. That’s the beauty of God’s word. It is alive and continues to bring wisdom. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of who is talking, Jeremiah or God. It’s helpful to remember when it’s Jeremiah, there are no quotation marks.
Instead of focusing on what the people in Jeremiah’s time were doing wrong, let’s focus on what God says will please him. “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” We were just talking about confidence in our last reading!
Like trees along the river, we should not be bothered or worried, but focus on bearing our fruit. We bear fruit when we are successful at doing work to further the kingdom. What does your “fruit” look like? The words of Jesus in John 15:4 come to mind for me. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” We need Jesus!
When you’re trusting in the LORD, how do you blossom? Where is God calling you to make a difference? If the conditions aren’t right, a tree won’t bear fruit. The same is true for us. If we are lost or moving away from God, there’s no way we can bring honor to the kingdom.
God knows we’re not perfect and will mess up. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” That’s quite a startling statement for God to make, and yet it’s true. There is no way that we can hide our thoughts and motivations from God. Our motives reveal what is important to us. God can see our “why” as clear as day, even when we are still trying to figure it out.
Do you feel intimidated that God knows you so completely? What is God going to find when he searches your heart? While our lives may be misunderstood by some, God knows the intimate details of our thoughts and dreams. He will always understand us.
When we feel like we are being swallowed up by the struggles of our day, remember these words from Jeremiah. “You alone are my hope in the day of disaster.” We should put our trust in God, not other human beings. God is the ONLY one who can save us. Speaking of Jesus, the apostle Peter says in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Maybe you’re nearly bursting because of a dream or ambition that you have. You’re not sure you can achieve it. What are the chances that God placed this desire in your heart? What if God is just waiting for the perfect moment to help you realize this dream? All we need to do is trust God. His timing is always perfect.
Let’s pray … Lord, your faithfulness endures forever. I’m so glad that you can see my innermost thoughts. Continue to purify my heart and cleanse it from every destructive belief. Thank you for how you guide my feet and love me despite my faults and failures. Walk with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
