My God and my Saviour, I find it most profitable for my mind, soul and physical body to give my heart in worship to You. How can I not, in response to Your never ending love and care?
I ask for Your wisdom to recognize interests and activities that may take more of my attention/love as my go to way, before or over You. Then I am at risk having an ‘idol’, because my close interaction with You is somewhat supplanted; maybe without my knowledge of what I am missing. Depending upon our inner thoughts and attitudes, You have predicted how it will pan out for people who ignore Your warning words and continue on in trusting in mans strength and wisdom.
Jeremiah 17: 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Thank You my God for reminding me, I do not really know myself, as You do, for I am familiar with my own thoughts and ways, in a sinful world. You also have said, apart from You, my life will seem as dry bush in a parched land. Alternatively, You promise a different life and ending, for the person who lovingly follows You. Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose hope is the Lord.”
To me as a follower of Christ it is the day by day keeping by the Lord, and His daily blessings, plus the many small answers to prayer of all types that feed my soul, in a way that can only be explained by experience. Therefore I/we long for every troubled unbeliever to be so blessed and anchored in the here and now, and have the same surety about all the promises of God in all situations. God Himself gives a word picture via Jeremiah what it will be like for us, when we love and trust His every word, as for me/us. Jeremiah 17:8 “For he shall be a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Note the many delightful and hope filled lessons in this text for life in the present, even though a great tree takes years to grow. The tree needs to be in the right place, with room to put down and out its roots to access the constant nourishment and water. As for the tree and me, when so supplied, we continue to grow through the hard times and in drought strong roots formed by God allow we like the tree to survive and bear fruit.
I choose to be like Your fruitful tree with a deep faith, formed by You.