The Kingdom of God is Upon Us

March 12th
Jeremiah 17:5-10
5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

The first part of today’s reading offers a beautiful take on the lesson of trusting in people versus trusting in the Lord. Perhaps we can personalize Jeremiah’s vision of wastelands and water by searching our own memories for sights, smells and textures. For me, it’s spindly coyote bushes barely hanging on to life in Death Valley, versus grand cottonwoods thriving along the riverbanks of the dry High Plains. Then comes the zinger in verse 9 “ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
At first, I was taken aback. Are we really that messed up? But after spending some time with this, I almost felt relieved that Jeremiah understood me so well. It is very hard for me to discern God’s path among the confusing and shifting mess of desires, hopes, fears, and intentions of my heart. The heart is quite tricky. Even to the point of being beyond figuring it out. Thankfully, there’s verse 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Comfort the suffering, feed the hungry, make peace among communities, laugh with family and friends, walk the walk. Let the Lord do the thinking, and our journey will become clear. –Steve Nagy

Prayer – The kingdom of God is upon us. May we welcome its power into our lives.