Jeremiah 15-17: Blessed is the Man

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
 "I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."  - Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV

Jeremiah knew that the answer to pleasing or displeasing God was a matter of the heart.  While most of the time, our actions belie what is in our heart, some of us have become very skillful at portraying one thing while harboring conflicting thoughts in our secret, inmost being.  Frequently, the heart matter that we hide the most involves where we put our trust.  As God said through Jeremiah, 'one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.' (Jer. 17:5)  It was so obvious with the Israelites.  They built altars and high places to other gods and made agreements with other nations for protection from their enemies.  Now we trust more in our government, education, savings or possessions to take care of us.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." - Jer. 17:7-8 NIV