Sunday Morning Podcast October 5, 2014. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: JEREMIAH 17:5-8
5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
People today, often place their trust in men, ( i.e. leaders, teachers, preachers, etc.) Fleshly “arms” of men, …are that which will fail. Trusting in men, are like th0se of the heath in the desert. The “dry conditions” comes to their soul, as a result. They then can no longer actually see when the good of God comes to help them. Without replenishment of “fresh waters,” the increased “salt” causes the soul to die. Then people will get where their lives cannot have the growth of good spiritual fruit. You’re blessed if the Lord, and not the mere words of man, is replenishing your soul, (verse 7) .
If your hope is in God alone, it will cause you to be as a tree planted by the waters, (verse 8). Only then (trust in God alone), can you bring forth good fruit. It is while in a drought one must learn how to survive, both literally and spiritually. Just as in the literal sense, without “water” you cannot survive, so it is spiritually. It is vital to know where our water source is found. Then those who are without, can find help and direction from the fruit God produces in our life. Spiritual drought happens to those who don’t consistently spread their roots to the source of water for their soul, or faith placed only in God.
We must individually and spiritually examine our heart to be sure we are planted by and in the waters. Jeremiah 17:9,10 tells us: (9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reigns, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” How do we examine ourselves to ensure we are planted by God’s water? Psalms tells us not to “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, hinder not the soul of the sinner, and not to sit in the seat of the scornful,” (Psalms 1:1) If we do this, we will never be bitter when a spiritual dryness (or hard times) come to affect us. We will take the spiritual judgments meant for us, to keep the water we have within us, .. sweet.
Are you surviving and prospering in the times of spiritual drought? Are your roots really drawing up the from wells of living water?