“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7
God has planned great and plentiful blessings for His children! So how do we make sure we don’t miss any of His blessings? It all begins with where we place our trust. With startling simplicity, God outlines two distinct paths and their clear consequences:
“CURSED is the man who TRUSTS in MAN and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall NOT see when GOOD comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.” Jeremiah 17:5–6
Compare:
“BLESSED is the man who TRUSTS 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 its leaf will be green, and will NOT be ANXIOUS in the year of drought, NOR will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7–8
Wow—could it be any simpler? As I began to honestly examine my own day-to-day choices, I saw a pattern: more often than not, I was trusting in myself. My own strength, wisdom, and experience. My own goodness—even sometimes in writing these devotionals. I was operating my own strength instead of seeking God’s wisdom and strength!
My friend, when I feel anxious, weary, or empty, it’s not because God has left me. It’s because I’ve left Him—and have begun to live trusting in my own understanding instead of acknowledging Him in all my ways. Proverbs 3:5–6
I’ve often fallen into the trap of leaning on friends, strategies, resources, and even good things, more than leaning on God. But only He can fill us with the kind of peace, joy, wisdom, and purpose that we were created to live in.
To walk the path of blessing, God must be our greatest source of hope.
It is then—when no matter what kind of drought or difficulty comes—you won’t just survive, you’ll thrive. When your roots go deep into God’s living water, you’ll live in abundance…not necessarily of money or status, but of the things the world can’t offer: Love, peace, joy, contentment. And not only will you be full, but you’ll overflow—you’ll have enough to give away to others.
So what’s the difference between living a cursed life and a blessed one?
It always comes back to having a heart and mind that is disciplined 100% in trusting in God and HIS truth. We must be self-aware that an undisciplined heart cannot be trusted.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
Our heart can lead us into all kinds of deception—especially when it comes to pride, self-sufficiency, or fear. In fact, this was the original sin—even in the perfection of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve chose to believe the lie that they could live without God. But God doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. He didn’t in the Garden and He doesn’t now. He searches our hearts and reveals the truth so we can walk in His wisdom.
“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.”
Jeremiah 17:10
When we truly desire to live surrendered to Christ, we want Him to examine our heart. We invite Him to point out anything that draws us away from full dependence upon Him. Like David, our prayer becomes:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23–24
The act of surrendering to God isn’t just a one-time event—it’s a daily commitment. We have to continually choose to trust Him more than in ourselves, to love Him more than our idols, and to believe that His way is always best.
To live OUR way is to relegate ourselves to a life of cursed misery. To live GOD’s way is to enjoy His immeasurable blessings. The choice is ours.
Either way—life is never easy. But when we are born again and live surrendered to Christ, we become rooted. We are no longer tossed about by every drought or storm. We are anchored in Christ. And in that place of rootedness, we can live fruitful, joyful, and peaceful lives that glorify Him—no matter what’s going on around us.
So today, take a moment and ask yourself: Where am I placing my trust? If the answer isn’t fully in God, let today be the day you surrender that area of your heart and plant yourself by His living water.
Reflection Question:
What area of your life are you trusting in your own strength instead of trusting fully in the Lord?
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the clarity of Your Word and the simplicity of Your truth. You are the source of all blessing, peace, and strength. Forgive me for the times I have trusted in myself, my resources, or other people more than I have trusted in You. Search my heart, Lord, and reveal anything in me that keeps me from fully surrendering to You. Help me to trust You with every part of my life—to plant myself by Your living water, to draw daily from Your strength, and to never cease bearing fruit that glorifies You. I choose to place my hope in You alone, Lord. Keep me rooted, faithful, and full of Your Spirit, no matter what season I face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
