Trusting in Man vs Trusting in God
I understand that trusting in a God we cannot see can seem a bit daunting. As humans, it seems more sensible to trust in the things we can see, smell, touch, hear and feel. However as Children of the Light, we are called to be different. Being different means that we STAND OUT! This means that our life would be an example for all to see. Our walk on this earth should be powerful and transformational to all who encounter us. We are expected to follow God and not man because man is merely human and human can fail us.
In Jeremiah 17 from verses 5-6 He stated a message from the Lord to the people of Israel. This message was very simple and it applies to us today. We are informed what happens to those who put their trust in man. I want to highlight this information to you today because I believe that it will help you decide whether you should choose to trust in God or man.
Trusting in Man
Trusting in man will simply cause bad things to happen to you. The Lord said it twice, “Bad things will happen to those who put their trust in people and human strength because they have decided to stop trusting in the Lord. Those who decide to place all their hope and focus on human and their ability, will soon find a change in their life. They will no longer receive the Lord’s help because they are now trusting in the “one” whom they believe can save them and get them from point A to point B. We know from scripture that God is a jealous God and we should have no other god before Him. We ought to honour Him always. The moment we begin to shift our focus from Him this would mean that we are voluntarily deciding to serve another as our god. As a result of serving another we will be punished. Verse 6 goes into a deeper analysis of what those people would resemble. Picture yourself walking through a desert. How well do plants blossom there? Is there any hope for their healthy growth in such a dry land? What about their leaves? Do they look verdant? Would they produce any fruit that you would want to eat from?
The answers to these questions would certainly give a clearly perspective of one who decide to put their trust in man. This person would lack every good thing he/she would really need in order to be prosperous in this land. They would be useless, producing no lasting fruit and blossoming never. Those who put their trust in man would soon be put to shame. Do not be fooled by what it looks like because soon enough the fruits will follow.
Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind,
Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength,
And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord.
“For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert;
And shall not see prosperity when it comes,
But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness,
In an uninhabited salt land. (AMP)
Trusting in God
Jeremiah continues in verses 7-8 with the contrast of those who decide to trust God. He said it proudly and with profound confidence because He knew what it was like to trust God. This was the very same God who called him out to be a prophet to the nation from his youth. He let the people know that anyone who trust and believe in and rely on the Lord would be blessed ( with spiritual security) (AMP). This applies to us today also. They would be secured in Him when difficult time comes around. They know who their protector and provider is. They know where their help comes from. Their main and only source is the True Vine. They know that because they have placed their confidence in Jesus, He will sustain them even during the toughest seasons. They are like trees planted near streams of water. They are planted in the right soil and location. This allows them to blossom daily. Even during the dry seasons they blossom and produce fruit in abundance. They stand out among those whose dependence is on human. Their roots are firmly implanted in Christ and thus can stand the test of times. They abide in the Word of God daily because this gives them hope and trains them to live right and flourish. It is the Bread of Life for them. They are never put to shame because they trust in the Lord. They will never have any reason to be burdened or stressed because their power source is Jesus Christ their Lord.
“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord
And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.
“For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,
That spreads out its roots by the river;
And will not fear the heat when it comes;
But its leaves will be green and moist.
And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought
Nor stop bearing fruit. (AMP)
Today you can choose to put your full confidence in Christ who will never fail you and never leave you. You will blossom like trees planted near rivers of water. You have the opportunity today to make the choice. Life and death is before you, choose life so that you may live.
