Jeremiah 17:5-8

Jeremiah 17:5-8 This is what the LORD says:  "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 will not see prosperity when it comes.  He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,  in a salt land where no one lives.    "But blessed is the man 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 never fails to bear fruit."

My Wise and Wonderful One,  You are an amazing word artist. Your illustrations are quite clear. I see a crossroad with two distinct choices: I can fear people or I can fear You.    If I choose to depend on my family and friends to make difficult decisions, and carry me through my dilemmas, I'll be dry and lifeless like a stunted shrub in the desert. Impoverished and spiritually weak, I won't have any strength to be productive. My hard work will be in vain and my blessing basket will be empty.    However, if I choose to rely on You, the Divine Gardener, I will flourish like a lush green tree planted by a gaily flowing spring of fresh water. Spending time in Your Word, my Bible, will nourish and strengthen me. When I allow others who are rooted in You to be my support system, I won't bend and break under the pressure of problems. Drawing deep into the steady Source of Living Water, Your Spirit flowing in and through me, I'll be exceptionally fruitful in scorching seasons of intense pain. Not only will I have enough vigor to meet my own needs, but I'll also have energy to meet the needs of others. Thank You for Your wise instruction. At the crossroads, I want to make the right choice: to follow Your Word and Your wisdom. Please give me a greater desire to dig deeper into Your precepts so that I'll take the way of Your will during tough and troubling times. I want to confidently face challenges, believing that You will bless me with peace, protection, and power in Your holy presence for the honor and glory of Your blessed name. Amen.

The more we allow those who ridicule God to affect our thoughts and attitudes, the more we separate ourselves from the Source of nourishment. Delight in spending time in God's Word and develop a support system of people who love the Lord. Then, you will have the strength to stand up under the pressure of difficult people, problems and pain. You will be blessed with the delicious juicy fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Full of the Spirit, your countenance will be happy even when your heart is sad.