Thoughts for the Day

Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

On Day 3 of Lent we looked at Psalm 3 and the theme of 'Trust and Faith' and the difference between the two. You may remember I defined the difference between the two as, faith allows me to believe that a chair (the picture was an old fashioned deckchair!) is made to support me, and trust shows my faith by actually sitting on the chair. Today we look at the prophet Jeremiah's take on trust.

Around 609 BCE Jeremiah declared that the covenant the people had made with God was broken. The prophet announced that the people of Judah had forsaken God's ways to worship pagan idols like Asherah and turned their back on Yahweh (God). He accused them of having hearts of stone, and cursed those who put their trust in "mere mortals". He effectively said our hearts can deceive us, for often what we desire is not what we need. When we go our own way without measuring it against God’s truth we are like a shrub trying to grow in a desert and can be in serious trouble.

But those who put their trust in God are like a tree planted by water, its roots will go down deep to make the most of any moisture when the summer heat strikes. This person is constantly being nourished by God when they align their life with His will. This idea is one we also find in Psalm 1: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

Today's Lenten message is therefore about the need to be careful where we place our trust if we are to flourish spiritually.

Lord God,
You know we make many decisions each day,
often listening to others for advice,
before acting upon their suggestions.
May we take notice of Your prophet's warning
to turn to You first when we need to act,
to ensure we align our will with Yours,
and be nourished and strengthened by You.
So may we flourish in the days ahead.
Amen.