Bible Verse of the Day Saturday November 25th, 2023

Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

God is holy, and He cannot look upon sin, while humans are all sinners who possess a sinful nature, which is always and forever at enmity with God. This situation caused a total and eternal separation between God and humanity. When Adam sinned, he and all his ancestors were cursed, forcing humanity to become self-dependent instead of God-dependent. Humanity turned their hearts away from the Lord and became obsessed with a human-centered faith rather than a God-focused trust. Adam chose to hide himself from God instead of walking with his creator in the cool of the day. Adam was afraid and hid himself from God because of his shame. Thus, humanity replaced their God-focused heart with a self-centered soul, which relied on human abilities instead of placing their dependence on God's almighty provision.

However, in His amazing grace, God redeemed Humanity when He sent a redeemer to pay the penalty for sin that humans could never pay. God chose His people, Israel, to be the one whom the long-awaited promised Messiah would come to save humanity. Through them, the entire world would receive this wonderful blessing from God. When God entered this covenant with the people of Israel, it was under the condition that they remain faithful and obedient, placing their Faith in Jesus, and from day one, they all turned their hearts and souls away from God by not accepting Jesus as the promised Lord and Savior of the World.

They neglected to trust His promises and refused to obey His Holy Word. Israel's idolatry worsened as the centuries came and went, and they scorned their gracious God and despised His precious promises. The Children of Israel turned their minds, hearts, and souls away from the one true God and placed their Faith and trust in worthless idols and their works. Jeremiah was one of God's Holy prophets who was called to chastise the Israelites and warn them of the harsh consequences of their continued idol worship and attempted works salvation, as well as their continuing unbelief.

The saddest aspect of this account is that there are still people today, Jews and Gentiles alike, who place their faith in worthless idols and in their ability to work for their salvation instead of putting their faith and trust in the saving grace and work of Christ Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. It is not difficult for some people to look with contempt and scorn Israel’s apostasy, which we read about in the writing of Jeremiah in God’s Holy Word and disparage those within the church today that fall away from Christ or attempt to depend on their good works to assure their eternal life with God.

As Christians, we must ask ourselves, do we trust in our works of the flesh? Do we place our faith and trust in our worldly possessions or achievements? Do we put our faith and trust completely and fully in the substitutionary work of Christ Jesus on the Cross of Calvary? Our response to these questions will decide where we spend eternity.