“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 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.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6) Do the phrases in verse five remind you of another well-known Bible passage? Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Both of these references deal with misplaced trust (trusting in man vs. trust in the Lord), dependence on self (leaning to the arm of flesh and leaning to my own understanding), and direction of the heart (a heart departed from the Lord or a heart submitted to the Lord). When I follow the advice of the Biblical proverb, my paths are peace. But when I lean on the broken staff, I find myself wandering in the wilderness of hurt, anger, disappointment, and confusion. My soul is parched and desperate- I cannot see or even believe that there are good things ahead.
What are some areas where we may lean on fleshly means (any dependence but Christ) for hope and relief?
The arm of flesh CANNOT…
~prolong my own life
~protect my mind from fears and anxieties
~provide power to rescue my friends
~protect my family
~purchase my worldly hopes and dreams
~prevent betrayal
~pause the storm
~procure peace
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:8)
“…abstain from fleshly lusts, which war (a continual battle) against the soul.” (1 Pet. 2:11)
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” (Psa. 73:25-26) ~V.K.S.
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