Bush in the desert OR Planted by the water with green leaves?

Father God closed a door to me this week, but opened another one. The closing was truly a humbling experience; the opening is a truly humble experience. I will write more on this once I have gathered my thoughts, but just wanted to put it out here.

He has been speaking to me this week mainly from Jeremiah 17 and I John 4 about trust, confidence, and love. His speaking to me on love will be addressed in a separate post. But here are my questions:

• Do I trust in mankind's resources or in His divine resources?
• And can I sit back and let Him pour His love on me?

The first question is a result from studying a passage in Jeremiah 17, verses 5 to 8. That is what I am focusing on today. Without a doubt, I do not want to be cursed nor do I wish to live in stony wastes in the wilderness! That was my life for too many years and a place I wish to never return!! But sometimes I do deceive myself into thinking I am trusting in Him alone, when in fact, it is the "arm of flesh".

"Thus says the LORD, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant.' " (vs 5-6)

Contrast that with verses 7-8:

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

There are many images the Father brought to my mind as I read this passage, but one particular visual He gave me was from a couple of years ago during a visit with my mother-in-law. That year we visited twice; once in the summer and then again at Thanksgiving.

While we were there in the summer, I was outside admiring her plants; one in particular: a hanging plant with pretty green foliage and the prettiest fuchsia and purple flowers I had ever seen. I will confess right here and now that I lusted after that plant! I wanted it!! (I asked her what it was so that I could buy one once we returned home, but she did not know the name of this beautiful plant.)

When we were back in November, I was downstairs in the basement and noticed that same plant all dried up...the pretty green foliage gone, the leaves crumbled and fell at my touch, no pretty fuchsia & purple blooms...d-e-a-d...D E A D!! Made me wonder why she had not thrown it away, but something inside me was so glad she had not! (Remember, I confessed that I wanted that plant in a bad way!!)

On a whim, I politely asked her if I could have it. She couldn't imagine why I wanted that dead thing, but jumped at my invitation to take it off her hands! My husband couldn't understand why I wanted to carry that ugly, dead plant all the back home with us either. BUT, I saw something in that plant that neither of them could see...the undeniable beauty of that plant if nourished and cared for with love. Other than having a photo of that pitiful hanging basket leaving Minnesota, I documented its journey with me. These are the visuals my Father brought to my mind as I studied this passage in Jeremiah.


Cut down to almost nothing; barren

Wrapped with love; protected

And then, the big day comes to remove the cover. Drum roll, please...LIFE! New growth...

FRUIT-BEARING!!!

I choose to be a blessed woman trusting in the Lord!