Readings for today: Jeremiah 17-20
One of the images Jesus refers to the most when describing the character and nature of God is that of a Father. Jesus calls Him “Abba.” (Mark 14:36) When teaching His disciples how to pray, He encourages them to begin, “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9) When describing God to His disciples, Jesus calls him a “good father who knows how to give good gifts to His children.” (Matthew 7:11) He tells them their Heavenly Father delights in them and it is His pleasure to give them the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) When Jesus Himself is suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” (Matthew 26:39) And when He hangs in agony on the Cross, it is to His Father that He appeals for our forgiveness. (Luke 23:34)
God is a faithful Father. As such, He knows what is best for His children. He knows what it takes for them to flourish and thrive. He knows how to give them good gifts and bless them. But He also knows how to discipline them. He knows when to step back and let them face the consequences of the choices they have made. He knows that sometimes children need to experience the “curse” of a life lived apart from God. Think of the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15 and how the Father in that story allows His son to take his inheritance and squander it. The Father in that parable never stops loving His son. Never stops waiting up for His son. Never stops hoping and longing for the day when His son will return. But He also never rescues His son. He never enables His son. He knows His son has to make His own choice to reject the “curse” and return for the “blessing.”
Listen to how Jeremiah describes this dynamic in Jeremiah 17:5-6, “Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the one who trusts in themselves and trusts in their strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. She shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land…” (see pic below from the Judean wilderness)
Contrast this with Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and it is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (See pic below from Jericho which is one of the largest desert oases in the world)
Again, God is a faithful Father. He honors the choices of His children and allows them to face the consequences of their decisions. When we turn away from God and reject His will for our lives, we should not be surprised when we end up in desert places. Places where life is hard and sustenance is scarce and death is an ever-present companion. When we find ourselves in these places, it’s not so much that God has cursed us as much as we have cursed ourselves. The same is true with blessing. If we will turn to God and walk in His ways, we will find ourselves flourishing like an oasis in the desert. Bearing fruit throughout all the different seasons of life. Tapped into springs of living water that never cease to flow. Friends, this is your Father’s heart for you today. Turn to Him and receive the blessings He has stored up for those He loves.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 21-24