God, Not Man

A reminder from The Lord from the prophet Jeremiah. This scripture is a powerful reminder to each of us seeking to follow after The Lord Jesus. He speaks blessings and curses over man based on who their trust is in. God says, if we trust in man we will be like a bush in the desert, bearing no fruit and having no life to speak of. A scant scraping of an existence with barely enough sustenance and never enough to prosper us to vitality.  What does that mean? Putting your faith in man's ideas, man's systems, man's cultural mores, man's rigid structures and limited reasoning. In western thinking, in regulated religion, in systems and organizations and buildings and traditions.

But! For the man who puts his trust on God, a multitude of blessings springs forth from the abundance of God's kingdom. Things like confidence and freedom, success and abundance. Deep refreshing to your roots, unwavering security in all seasons. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? 

Some examples of people in the bible who lived by such faith and trust in God (and not man) are listed in the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, people like Noah and Moses and Joseph and Abraham and Samuel and Gideon and Rahab and Ezekiel and Elisha and Elijah and Job and Mary and especially Jesus. People who did not fear man, who didn't worry about how they would eat or drink or be clothed in or where they would stay or how they would pay for travels or feed their family or save for retirement. They simply heard the voice of God and then they obeyed. Jesus clearly taught, take what little you have and give it away and more will be added to it. He fed thousands on a few fish and a loaf of crusty bread. He healed the sick by trusting God at His word of healing. He fought back satan by declaring the absolute truth of Holy Scripture to refute the lies. Abraham left his comfortable home for the great unknown of Egypt. Mary faced threatened the possibility of getting stoned to death for pregnancy out of wedlock, even though it was by God's Holy Spirit. Who would have believed her? Joseph her betrothed believed her only because a mighty angel spoke to him. (God has ways of protecting His children who are walking in faith.)

The point is, don't get stuck in your limited thinking that you need all the answers or the complete blueprint from God before you'll take a step put of the boat. For without faith it is absolutely impossible for you to please God.

So, if God is calling you to do something, go somewhere, speak to someone, or do something that seems scary to you, be encouraged that your faith and obedience pleases Him and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. 

Just seek God; He won't let you down. You might seem foolish in your eyes or you might go into unknown and intimidating waters. But He will be with you. Not to mention legions of His wonderful angels, ready to guard you in your ways (see psalm 91).

So here's that scripture I was referring to in Jeremiah about trusting in God and not man. I pray you get the courage you need to radically trust God. He won't let you down. After all, He is God.

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from The Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands. He won't see prosperity when it comes, he'll dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But, blessed is the one who trusts in The Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and it never fails to bear fruit."  Jeremiah 17:5-8. Selah. 

            "My sheep know my voice."

                           -Jesus