Devotionals

Jeremiah 17 5 'Cursed is the one '

by Kathie Thomas
03/31/07
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The sermon at church tonight was exceptional. Actually all the sermons are very good but tonight a young man who is training as a Pastor took over the senior pastor's role and gave the sermon. The topic of late has been ‘The Will of God' and in particular ‘What is God's Will for my life?' which is one of the most frequently asked questions by Christians.

Ps Luke was nearing the end of the sermon and talking about Col 1:11 …being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully. This part of the sermon was titled ‘Just hang in there' and he spoke about how at times it seems the easiest thing to just go back to old habits or to give up, because it all seems so hard. We often find we just cannot achieve what we've set out to do in our own strength and ability but he challenged us to just hang in there! Amongst other examples, he spoke of people in business and how often we struggle to achieve what we've set out to do. ‘ Financial challenges are often a major part of that struggle ' I thought, thinking of all the people in business that I've heard speak over and over again about this very thing.

Luke told us how some accuse Christians of being weak and that our faith is just a crutch but he turned that around and said if we had access to a power that was so much more than we could ever be alone, then why wouldn't we tap into it? And then he quoted Jeremiah 17:5

This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

Why would we hang onto our own strength, or the strength of man when we have a Lord, who by His very Word, created this awesome world we live in? Who wouldn't want to tap into a strength like that? He also quoted Ephesians 1:19-20

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

What an incredible power we have access to! And yet, so many of us really don't get it and rely on our own measly strength, or that of people around us. We look in every direction but up for help. We seek ways to change our situation, sort out our challenges, get help from others when in reality there are times we really do need to just stop what we're doing - and that includes panicking and worrying - and do as we're told in Psalm 46:10a - Be still and know that I am God . We're so afraid that if we stop we're going to fall and yet if we do stop we could be falling right into the arms of our Father. What better place is there to be?

I heard the following on the radio the other day and wrote it down - seems quite apt here, doesn't it?

Sorrow looks back… Worry looks around… But, faith looks up. God's Little Instruction Book