by tumaini lutenta | 4 August 2019 08:46 pm08
Jeremiah 17:5–6 (ESV)
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.'”
The prophet Jeremiah delivers a severe warning directly from the Lord: placing your trust in man rather than in God invites a curse upon your life. When you rely on human wisdom, strength, or protection as your ultimate hope—while turning your heart away from God—you step outside of God’s covenantal blessing.
This is not just about seeking help from people—it’s about depending on people in place of God. That’s a form of idolatry (Exodus 20:3), because it gives the glory and trust that belong to God to mere human beings.
Whether you depend on:
A political leader to secure your future,
A boss to determine your promotion,
A doctor to ensure your healing,
Or guards to ensure your safety,
…if your ultimate hope rests in them and not in the Lord, you are under a curse—spiritually dry and disconnected from the source of life.
When your first thoughts in the morning are about your employer or clients, not God.
When you compromise your integrity to please people, fearing you might lose opportunities.
When you fear disobeying men more than you fear disobeying God (cf. Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.”).
When your decisions are driven by the need to be accepted, rather than by obedience to God’s Word.
This heart posture reveals you are trusting man. And God says such a person will not see when good comes—meaning they may miss God’s blessings even when they’re near, because their heart isn’t aligned with Him.
Psalm 127:1–2 (NKJV)
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
Placing full confidence in people—whether in guards, systems, institutions, or authority figures—replaces God’s role as your protector. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have security measures or receive medical care. Rather, the issue is where your faith is anchored.
Proverbs 21:31 (ESV) says:
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”
In other words, preparations are necessary, but our ultimate trust must rest in the Lord, not in those preparations.
Trusting in medical science more than in God is another form of idolatry. Yes, doctors are a gift from God (Sirach 38:1–2, a useful Apocryphal reference), and medical knowledge is a blessing. But salvation—especially eternal life and true healing—comes from the Lord.
Psalm 103:3 (NKJV) reminds us:
“Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.”
No doctor can raise the dead. No medicine can restore a soul. When medical reports lead us into panic, it shows our faith was in man—not in the God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9).
Jeremiah 17:7–8 (ESV)
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water… It does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
The contrast is powerful. Those who trust in the Lord:
Remain steady in hard times.
Do not fear the future (2 Timothy 1:7).
Continue to bear fruit, even during spiritual or economic “droughts.”
This is both a practical and a spiritual promise:
Practically, they’ll flourish in work, family, and provision.
Spiritually, they’ll bear fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience… (Galatians 5:22–23).
Evangelistically, they will bear fruit by leading others to Christ (John 15:8; Proverbs 11:30).
The first sign is fear. If fear dominates your decisions—fear of lack, fear of rejection, fear of failure—it reveals a lack of trust in God.
Matthew 6:31–33 (NKJV)
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
People who trust God do not panic when threatened. Like Daniel, they stand firm in righteousness even when others plot against them (Daniel 6:10).
Why will they always bear fruit? Because their roots go deep into the river of God’s presence—just as Psalm 1:3 describes:
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season…”
Fruitfulness in God isn’t seasonal—it is eternal. It includes:
Fruit in their work and resources.
Fruit in their character and relationships.
Fruit in evangelism and discipleship.
And their reward is eternal (Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 3:14).
Where is your trust?
Is it in your salary, your education, your connections?
Or is it in the Lord who owns everything and never fails?
Psalm 20:7 (ESV) says:
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Choose the blessing. Put your full trust in the Lord—not partially, not occasionally, but wholeheartedly.
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”
May the Lord bless you and anchor your heart in Him alone.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2019/08/04/trust-in-god-not-in-man/
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