From Striving to Thriving

Look what I happened upon in the Bible Study I'm doing? It tied right in with Mark 3 - Withered Hands. 

Thus says the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant." Jer 17:5-6 

Via Google Images

Man 1 is striving; yet withered. He is  like a bush in the desert; living in stony wastes....a picture of a withered man.

How did he get this way?

• Striving....depending on his own strength
• Striving against the Lord  - he turned his heart from God
• trusts in mankind

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord, for he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but it's leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." Jer 17:7-8

Man 2 is thriving! He thrives in the hard times; he thrives in the good times. He's ever fruitful!  

How did he get this way? 

• He trusts the Lord - trust motivates confident obedience in the hard times
• His roots go deep - into the water of the Word, the water of relationship with Jesus
• He's prepared for heat and drought! He's been feeding deeply. 
• His leaves remain green; he continues to yield fruit

Man one is trying to "get their on his own." He trusts in himself. I do this at times.The  Holy Spirit fingers a need for restoration in my life and I jump to action....am I partnering with Jesus? Sometimes. All too often I am trusting in my own strength; trying to fix myself, rather than trusting in Jesus.  Judy Rossi writes, in Enhancing Your Marriage , "The more we look outside the Source for answers, the more prolonged our search will be for the solution." I prove this over and over. 

A thriving man trusts the Lord.  I need to confess my sin, repent  and trust HIM to fix me, to clean me up. (1 Jn 1:8-9). I partner with Him in my restoration by, "Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, and making no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Rm 13:14

A thriving mans spends time in the word, time in fellowship and time shut up alone with Jesus. A thriving man trusts deeply in grace! 

I want to be man 2.

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...