Human methods of behavior modification that we may have been taught cause our "hearts" to be "far from me." May we come to the cross and worship not with our lips but with our hearts that have been made new through Jesus' death. The arrows of God's wrath pierced Jesus' heart, and all who saw Him mocked Him. Jesus drank the bitter cup of God’s wrath for us.
“He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. 14 I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. 15 He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink.” Lamentations 3:13-15
Oh, friend, what does this do to your heart just now? How can we take in such love? How is it that God has this kind of love for us that He would not even spare His own Son? Can you see the love of God in the death and resurrection of Christ? Jesus poured out His life as a drink offering to fill all us believers up to the brim!
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.” Psalm 96:1-2
Now, notice the blessing and life of the one who trusts in the Lord. If those who trust in man’s strength and wisdom are the ones whose hearts are drawn away from the Lord, then those who trust in the Lord should have their hearts drawn to Him.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They 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.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
Like a tree planted by water
It sends out roots by the stream
It does fear when heat comes
Its leaves are always green
It has no worries in drought
It never fails to bear fruit
What a contrast! What life we have in Christ! We are transformed from a mere tumbleweed in the desert wastelands with little to no root system, blown about by the wind, to a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots. We can bear fruit even when fear, worries, or droughts come. When we are rooted and grounded at the cross of Christ, we are like a tree planted by the water whose leaves are always green and never fails to bear fruit.
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
Jesus hung on the cross and poured out His blood like streams of water, and the Holy Spirit flows from His death and becomes “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) to us who believe. Nowhere can we find deeper nourishment for the roots of our hearts than in Jesus’ death and resurrection, as applied by the Spirit of God. At the cross, we are blessed because Jesus was cursed (Galatians 3:13). At the cross, the Living One, whose body was prepared for this very day and purpose (Psalm 40:6) was opened up like a fountain (Zechariah 13:1-2), so we could be cleansed from sin and through the Spirit receive “rivers of living water.”
Oh, friend, Jesus THE ROOT (Isaiah 11:1), and our source of life and nourishment died for our sin. The TRUE VINE (John 15:1), whose leaves are always green and never wither took on human form, was dried out, uprooted, and withered while hanging on the cross. But we, through looking at the cross and believing its message, are rooted, built up, strengthened in faith, and overflowing with thankfulness. Through Jesus, we have received a new heart, a new mind, new desires, and a completely new life. We’ve been forgiven and set free. We are no longer tumbleweeds in the wilderness, dry, thirsty, and alone; now, we are trees planted by the waters whose leaves are always green. What an abundant and joy-filled life we have in Christ!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
Jesus “trusted in the Lord” with “all of His heart” even while His blood spilled out on the cross. He was not leaning unto His “own understanding” but “trusting” His Father all the way to Calvary no matter the cost. Through every trial, He leaned on the One who sent Him to accomplish His will, and never wavered in faith to His Father. In every way, Jesus was submissive to His Father, obedient unto death, even death on a cross! Jesus made our paths straight by becoming crooked with our sin on the cross and dying the death we deserved.
Jesus trusted God with all His heart and submitted to God perfectly and then on the cross, He removed our sin and clothed us with His perfection. Now He invites us to abide in Him, in His perfect life and death for us, to turn to Him for help in every struggle or situation, to trust Him and not man.
Question 4. Are you trusting in the Lord Jesus as your only hope, not leaning on your own understanding? Are you submitting your flesh in all its ways to its own death, just as Jesus died to remove your sin from you and raise you to new life?
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