Jeremiah 17:5-8 Planted By the Water

Observation: The prophet Jeremiah begins a poem with an excellent image as its center: Just as plants need water, so we need God. We may feel okay for a little while without checking in with God, but people of faith know all too well what it feels like to be spiritually parched and unable to bear fruit. Best to plant ourselves closer to a water source: to position ourselves in such a way that prayer, and God's Word, are always near.

Application: For anyone who has been paying attention to world events, this has been an exceedingly draining week. The reality of Hurricane Harvey's devastation is setting in just in time for another storm--Irma--to threaten Florida and Puerto Rico. There are deep divisions in our nation over immigration, and fear as North Korea continues to threaten war. And I couldn't read our scriptural image without thinking of Montana and the rest of the Northwest, as wildfires rage in drought-stricken forests. On a personal level, my school-aged kids both managed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and resisted getting ready for school with pretty much everything they had. 

I don't mean this post to be a downer. I Just want to acknowledge it: I'm parched. I've got nothing. I'm done trusting in myself. I have to trust in God, because it's either that or just curl up into a ball and ignore the world--which for me, as a disciple of Jesus, is not an option.

You can get by trusting in human beings for a while, especially if that human being is yourself. But you'll eventually reach a point where you've done all you can do, and whomever you've put your trust in has done all they can do, and it's just not enough. That's when it's time to ask where you have planted yourself. Are you near the water? When was the last time you prayed? Read a verse or two from scripture? Talked with a friend, not just about the state of the union or the state of your family, but the state of your spirit? Planting yourself closer to some form of spirituality will likely mean a change of routine. It'll mean uprooting yourself from a way of moving in the world which you have gotten used to. That typically hurts, just like the first workout after not being in the gym for awhile. But it's worth it. A lifetime is an awful long journey if your spirit is dehydrated.

Prayer: God, I've had it. I have used what meager resources I have in my mind, body and spirit, and I'm tapped out. Plant me closer to you. Help me to better structure my day to allow time with you. Help my roots grow deeper in your word, so I can grow even in the dry times. Amen.