Deeply Rooted Faith

Reading: "This is what the lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. “But blessed are those who trust in the lord and have made the lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:5-10 NLT)

First off, this passage is directly spoken by the Lord, so what can we get out of it? Humans rely on human strength. We are weak and easily swayed from our God. We are stunted and lack growth in our faith. We live in a barren salty Earth, contaminated and impure. We are unable to produce goodness by our own means. However, we should put our trust in The Lord and rely on His mighty power and unfailing love. We can find hope in His unwavering promises and find confidence in His name, that by His power alone we can do great things. Our hearts should be deeply rooted in God, as he is our source of life. Our roots should be so deep that they're not easily snapped due to turning points, when the heat increases and times get tough. During droughts, when God seems far from us or we simply push away our faith, our roots should be strong enough to stay grounded. We can continue to provide life to our roots by feeding them the Gospel and strengthening our relationship with God, so that during storms or droughts, no matter what life throws at us, we can be sure our faith is unwavering and standing firm.