Jeremiah 17:5-6

“Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the LORD.” Thus spoke Jeremiah of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem in the midst of God’s outpouring love. The prophet sees God’s ultimate desire for human renewal and recovery. The prophetic word captures a future pregnant with hope for an oppressed people.

God’s creation is a networking system of abundant life for all, enough for all. But greed and shame coax us to possess more and consume more. We lose sight of the fact that  the world belongs to God and is provided as home for all peoples .

Jeremiah’s vision offers a strong illustration: trusting in humanity is like a shrub in the desert, in the salt land where no one lives. Human self-pride doesn’t sustain much; there is no life-giving water around self-centeredness.

The direction of our life’s journey begins to become clear when we claim our own shortcomings. Our desires and ambitions lead us astray, but God comes searching for us on the back roads of our life, bringing liberation that comes only from God. We surrender our own attempts to figure out our lives and turn to the Lord with freedom and joy. We tend to our life in God that we might be in the presence of God with blessing.

PRAYER:

We turn to you, God. You have done great things for us and have promised even greater. We confess our failures and shortcomings. We see no hope in ourselves. Guide us to see your love and mercy so that we can continually find freedom in you. Amen .