Thus says the LORD:”Cursed is the man who
trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:5
The Israelites of
Jeremiah’s day believed they could trust in their army, the diplomacy of their
king, and their foreign alliances to protect them from the powerful Babylonian
empire. They gave lip service to their trust in God, but their actions showed
where their faith really was: in their military and financial might. God spoke
through Jeremiah to warn them that He would not bless those who trusted in
anyone or anything instead of Him.
Placing your ultimate
trust in anything other than God is idolatry. How can you know if your faith is
not truly in God? Ask yourself these questions: Where do I turn when I
experience a crisis? When I am hurting or afraid, to whom do I go? When I have
a financial problem, whom do I want to tell first? Where do I seek comfort when
I am under stress or discouraged?
Could it be that you
are saying you trust in God but your actions indicate otherwise? God often uses
other people as His method of providing for you. Be careful lest you
inadvertently misdirect your faith toward His provision instead of toward the
Provider. God may meet your need through your friends, but ultimately your
trust must be in God.
The Israelites were so
stubbornly committed to trusting in human strength instead of God that, even as
the Babylonian army approached Jerusalem, they continued to desperately seek
for a person, or a nation, or an army that could rescue them. They realized too
late that they had neglected to trust in the only One who could deliver them.
Don’t make the same
mistake as the Israelites. Go straight to the Lord when you have a need. He is
the only One who can provide for you.
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