Reading:
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse-- who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. (Jeremiah 17: 5-10) Reflection: Are you like a shrub planted in the desert? Or are you like a tree planted by water? Those are the questions we could ask ourselves after reading the text today. If you are like a shrub planted in the desert, that’s not so good. In fact, the word for you is cursed. If you are like a tree planted by water, that’s very good. The word for you is blessed. But how do you get to be one or the other? The word there is TRUST. If you trust in mere mortals, that’s the shrub. If you trust in in the LORD, that’s the tree. Sounds easy but the last two verses remind us the heart is tricky and hard to understand. Search our hearts, Lord. May we be like trees that bear fruit. --Ruth Gates Prayer: Dear God, we put our trust in you. Search our hearts. May be like trees that bear fruit. Amen Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. In the current season of Epiphany, Christ is revealed, the disciples are called, and we see the early ministry of Jesus.
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