Rooted by Living Water

5           Thus says the Lord:
                        “Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
            6           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.
            7           “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
            8           He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
                        and 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.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8
+
Rooted by Living Water
Jeremiah draws a sharp contrast: cursed is the one who trusts in man, but blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Human strength looks sturdy for a moment, but it dries up like a shrub in the desert, alone, brittle, and unable to endure the heat. This is the condition of fallen man by nature. We trust ourselves, our plans, our works, and our own wisdom, yet all of it withers under sin and death. But the Lord plants His people elsewhere. Through His Word and Sacraments, He roots us beside living water. Faith clings not to self, but to Christ crucified. At the cross, Jesus bore the curse of our sin so that we might receive His blessing. Even when drought comes, suffering, grief, or trial, the believer does not fear, for Christ is enough. Rooted in Him, we remain green, fruitful, and alive forever.