Lenten Daily Reflection 2021-03-04
You can listen to the reading and reflection by clicking here.
Jeremiah 17.5-10
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
Life gets more complicated all the time doesn't it? If it's not figuring out some new mystifying technology, it's figuring out how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the newest plague. You also have to figure out how to deal with so many other humans who have amazingly strong opinions about so many things. Even for the "doers" in this world, it can get overwhelming. Then here comes Jeremiah's words of wisdom. I'll admit that I was initially turned off when he starts off by talking about being "cursed" - but I read on and we got to the tree.
Trees just quietly stand there and trust through all seasons. They house the birds and squirrels. They shade even those who don't deserve it. Even naked their silhouettes against the winter sky take my breath away. The roots reach down and the limbs reach up and they quietly produce fruit and just do what they need to do. They wait, they stand and they trust.
God, help me to quiet down, look up and listen carefully. Help me to reach further down into your unending love and turn palms up as I receive your warmth and carefully trust day after day no matter what turmoil is going on. Thanks for these words Jeremiah.