In God and God alone we flourish, live and grow

It says in Jeremiah 17: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. 6 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. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. 8 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 connects with Psalm 1: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

This then again connects with John 15: 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Take also note of what the Lord said in Isaiah 8: 13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” Yes, He is the Lord of Life. For those who fear Him, obey Him and who listens carefully to Him shall surely live here and in eternity. Our God is the Lord of Life. For those who fear Him, obey Him and who listens carefully to Him shall surely live here and in eternity. In Him there is hope, there is salvation, restoration and true healing.

God must be our sanctuary of life, but then we must abide in Him and Him alone! Psalm 144 must be our reality: Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle— 2 My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.

Take also note of how Jeremiah 17 also supports what was said in Isaiah 30: “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame …

In God and God alone we must place our trust, our hope, our refuge and Him alone we must obey. For in Him is life, for He is the hope of glory. Yet for those who turn away from the Lord, shall walk in shame, just as Adam and Eve suffered shame for disobeying God. As we walk in the presence of the Lord, as we seek Him above all, placing our trust and hope only in Him, we shall indeed live, we shall prosper, we shall flourish, and we shall thrive.

Yet when we forsake Him, we shall be like a shrub in the desert, and we shall not see when good comes and we shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness. This speaks of a state of dryness, deadness and a lack of life. Yet in God is true life, and in Him we grow as also stated in John 15 when we abide in Him.

Lastly, let us take note of Isaiah 35, which speaks of that wonderful state of yielding to God, and what wonderful blessing is in store when we walk in His Holy Presence, for in His Presence is Life, Hope and true prosperity.

Isaiah 35 speaks of the future glory of Zion, at a time when the people will know the Messiah, our Lord Jesus: The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 12 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. 7 The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.

Isaiah 35 is actually the reality of any disciple of God. For the Lord came and He gave us the Living Waters through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He showed He is the Way, Truth and Life. In Him is healing, deliverance, joy, life, hope, gladness and love. In Him we thirst no more, and in Him we know the narrow road of His blessed glory, divine nature and the liberty of His Word.

In Him, there is no dryness, no lack, no need, no death, only life and life in abundance. There is beauty and growth. It is indeed wise to follow the path of the Lord, for in the Lord is the true highway of our divine hope and redemption.

For the believer stands on the truth of 1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

It is indeed foolishness not to walk the path of God, for He is the giver of life. In Him we find there is no lack as confirmed by Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Indeed, we serve a God of life! A God who makes the lame walk, the blind see, the mute speak and who still saves the lost. In Him there is no shame, for in Him there is purity and holiness.

It is foolishness to shun the path of God, and to depart from the divine life of God. For there are two paths – the highway of the redeemed (narrow road) and the path of the fool (broad way). The fool, the deceived, the carnal and the rebellious has forsaken the highway of the redeemed, yet God’s grace is always present for those who seek the light beyond the dark. For to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding ((Job 28:28).

Praise the Lord, for He is the giver of life. He is Life, He is Light, and in Him we shall not thirst, or want or be in need. The Israelites knew this reality in the wilderness, and this is still true for those walking the Highway of the Redeemed.