Planted by God
Jer. 17:5-8 Intro: These verses declare the trouble that comes to the man who trusts in man and whose heart departs from the Lord. It’s a terrible thing to trust more in the creature than in the Mighty Creator! Those who trust in man are likened to a bush in the desert that has to exist in an arid, dry, and parched land. Sounds like a desolate existence! These verses also declare the blessings that come to those who Trust In the Lord and whose Hope the Lord is. Jeremiah states that the Righteous will be as a Tree Planted by the Waters. Planted! Planted by God! What a great concept; what a great comfort for every one of us to consider that our life is Planted by God. Being Planted speaks of least two great blessings: - Personal Attention - Divine Planning For someone to Plant a tree, they have to be personally involved; they have to be in close proximity; they have to be holding the tree in their hand. Being Planted by God reminds us that God is NOT far away and distant; he is not indifferent to us; he knows us individually; he cares for us individually; he loves us individually. I’m glad that the righteous are planted with God’s personal attention and with his divine planning. The farmer that is planting seeds in his field does not go along and poke an individual hole in the ground for each seed of grain. But we are planted like a tree. When someone plants a tree, they look around carefully and choose the right spot. Then they dig the hole, prepare it and Place the tree in it. Thank God for his personal attention and for his divine planning for our lives. Even though every circumstance is not good and pleasant, every circumstance will be used by our God for our Good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is. He shall be as a tree planted by the waters that spreads her roots by the river. Being planted by God has great benefits. Living a life planted by God has great blessings. 1) The Planted Life has Permanence. This life is Rooted! There is Permanence and Stability. Jeremiah said that this tree “spreads forth its roots by the river...” It is great to have a life that is established in the Lord; a life that is grounded in the Lord; a life that is Steadfast in the Lord. Some are tossed to and fro and in the words of Paul are “carried about by every wind of doctrine...” Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace...” When you trust in the Lord and hope in the Lord you will be planted and be Rooted. 2) The Planted Life is Prosperous. I do not use this word in just the financial or material sense; but of a Life that is Flourishing, Growing, Progressing. Notice what vs 8 says about this Tree- it shall not see when the heat comes but her leaf shall be Green... It will not be Brown in dryness and death, but Green in Life and Growth. This is a great promise that even though times of extreme heat Do come; and though times of drought Do come; the life that is planted by God will not be destroyed by them. Ps. 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. To Flourish means to sprout, to send out shoots, to blossom, to spread out, to grow abundantly. If you will trust in the Lord and make the Lord your Hope, your life will be Planted by God; and it will have Permanence and it will Prosper. 3) The Planted Life will be Productive. Vs. 8 says that this Tree will not cease from yielding fruit. That is a wonderful promise! Even though times of extreme heat come and trials press us sore; even though times of spiritual drought seem to trouble us; if our life is Planted by God it will NEVER cease to bring forth fruit. - This planted life will continue to bear the Fruit of the Spirit. [Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.] A life of Christlike character can be lived even in times of fiery trials. A life of Christlike character can be lived even in times of spiritual drought. Keep bearing the fruit of the Spirit; keep producing the attitudes that the Spirit of God desires. - This planted life will also bear the Fruit of Souls. When your life is planted by the Lord, those around you will notice the difference in your life. Some will mock, some will ridicule, and some will even be antagonistic; BUT some will be influenced, some will be interested, some will be impacted. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is. He shall be as a tree planted by the waters that spreads out her roots by the river. It shall not see when the heat comes and its leaf shall be green. It shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall it cease from yielding fruit.
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Bro. Dwain GaliherPastor of JHPC Archives
December 2024
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