The heart – It is a DUMP!

Jeremiah 17:7-10

Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but it leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

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Today I passed a dump – that’s right a dump! It was on old dump that had been covered by dirt and had vents installed to allow for the fumes below to billow out. I noticed that when they covered it with dirt about 10 years ago that it was much bigger – and has slowly sank and decomposed.

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The first thing that I thought of is this is such a great visual representation of the human unredeemed heart! Our hearts are completely full of wickedness and rot.  To me, I would never want to buy a piece of property that had been a dump – and try to restore it  to some usefulness – but GOD does.

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God is the only one who can take a wicked – stony heart – and make it new and usable. I find that God pull out of me – from deep within the dark hidden places in my heart – junk from my old life and way of thinking. He alone – is the only One who can sanctify the human heart. He alone – uses ONLY the word of God to do so. He allows circumstances to hit our lives -and causes us to drink in the word of God – teaching us about our own wickedness – and depravity – and selfishness -and sin – making us to glorify Him – EVENTUALY.

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Notice the scripture referenced above.

Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

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Blessed is the man who Trust in God – not his own wisdom – strength – Cleverness – education – Stocks – Bonds – Who he knows … Anything – but In God alone. What do you put your hope and trust in? Is it your business? Man… things are tough in today’s world. This will produce bad anxiety in any persons heart who is looking to their employer or their business for their hope and future. God alone deserves this trust, for He alone is the only one who can really supply our needs and desires!

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but it leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.

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I used to go every day to a park and have my quiet time. There was this creek that ran thur it – with fresh spring water that always flowed in it. It was cold and clear. The trees had been there for many years – since before the civil war the signs said – and they were big – tall – strong – and very green. There was a bad drought in those summer days that year, and I never one time saw the tree anxious for water – loosing its leaves. It was not stressed out because its root were under the creek bed and it had all it needed and more. 

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I prayed that God would make me like this tree – and He has faithfully afflicted me over the 21 years since I started my business. He has taught me where the cool water is – it is in trusting HIM – not myself or my cleverness – marketing plans – efforts apart from him. It is only in my trust in Him that I am able to not worry. I am still learning this – I have not arrived yet but at least I know there is a “Creek” of cold water just beside me. His name is JESUS!

God said this  “I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

Well He sure does. I can try things – and it produces nothing – because I did them without the filling of the Holy Spirit in me. It was not produced or done by the filling of the Spirit in me – but rather my selfish ambitions and DUMP of a heart!  But when I do anything that God leads me in the Spirit to do – and only that which is in agreement with the whole counsel of God (searching out the scriptures to know the mind of Christ) that I experience that blessing of God. I must do – try – and strive – but only with His filling – and never apart from principles of His word.

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Well… My heart still smell sometimes like a dump. Sin is still in me. But thanks be to God who sanctifies me according to His precious word.

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