A Shrub or a Tree - Jeremiah 15-17 and II Timothy 2
Each of us has control over our destiny. God has given us the ability to choose to do His will or to reject Him and trust in man. Jeremiah gave us a perfect word picture for the results of our choice. If we choose to trust in man, we will be like a shrub in the desert, dry and straggly. If we choose to put our trust in the Lord, we will be like a tree, well watered and fruitful, even in hard time. What are you choosing for your life?
II Timothy 2 is full of word pictures, too. Paul encouraged Timothy to be faithful to God like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Then, God could bless him, even in the hard times, and he could pass on the truth of God to faithful believers around him. If he warned people to avoid trusting in human sayings and the wisdom of this world, they could be clean vessels, and God would fill them up for His use. The meaning is the same. What will you choose to do today and each day for the rest of your life? Will you intentionally seek the Lord and keep His commands, or will you trust in the ways of man? Your choice will decide the outcome of your life. You will be either a shrub or a tree, a dirty vessel or a clean vessel. I pray that each of us will realize the consequences of our choices and choose the blessings of God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 18-19 and II Timothy 3.
II Timothy 2 is full of word pictures, too. Paul encouraged Timothy to be faithful to God like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Then, God could bless him, even in the hard times, and he could pass on the truth of God to faithful believers around him. If he warned people to avoid trusting in human sayings and the wisdom of this world, they could be clean vessels, and God would fill them up for His use. The meaning is the same. What will you choose to do today and each day for the rest of your life? Will you intentionally seek the Lord and keep His commands, or will you trust in the ways of man? Your choice will decide the outcome of your life. You will be either a shrub or a tree, a dirty vessel or a clean vessel. I pray that each of us will realize the consequences of our choices and choose the blessings of God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 18-19 and II Timothy 3.