“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. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jer. 17:5-8
Today’s Christian Daily Devotional
Take a moment to read those again (I know the King James’ version of the Bible makes the brain work a little harder)! Do you know anybody that is a “self made” man? Have you ever seen what happens when his empire comes crashing down? It does not take very much. Fortunes can be lost as fast as they are made, families can be broken with just one moment of indiscretion, lives can be destroyed by a simple bad decision. No one is immune to failure. Even ( and especially) the “self-made” man. Problems and issues arise for both the “self made” man and for the “God fearing” man. With life, comes problems. But, with God, comes hope, peace and solutions. The Bible promises that a man who truly depends on God will flourish in the end. The trials that he faces will not destroy him, but will in fact, make him stronger. Why is this? Because trials are just “faith workouts” to a man who trusts in God, and in the end, God rewards those who rely on Him (and not themselves) for strength. You gotta love that God provides it all. Why would anyone want to depend on themselves to save the day ? (You know how reliable you are!)
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I was that person who depended on myself for everything. Although I was successful for some time, the stress to keep me there was more than I could bear. It was impossible to remain on top and keep it together at the same time! It took losing it all for me to realize that you were in control anyway! I could do nothing without your blessing and grace. Even my “self-made” success was only because of your grace! What a humbling realization. Lord, I stop this dumb dance. I give the floor to you. I want you in control, because when you are I have peace. I know that when my world is getting rocked, there will be a reward at the end of the trial. There always is, when I totally trust in you. So, Lord, I am asking for an increase in faith, trust and obedience in you. I would like a double-portion of what I had yesterday and I am praying for a two-fold increase every day until Jesus takes me home. I need this, and you know it! In Jesus’ precious name, not because I am worthy, but because you are gracious, Amen.”
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