May 29, 2022 • Michael McCracken • Jeremiah 17:9–10
There seems to be a need to look more closely at this idea of the heart being deceitful above all things, and desperately sick. Read and quoted by itself it comes across like a warning…a warning that says that our hearts are never to be trusted. If Proverbs is true, in that from our hearts flow the wellspring of life, then a rejection of our hearts actually becomes the source of more destruction and not less. As you get closer to the text here in Jeremiah you begin to realize that this is actually more of a cry for help from someone who has pressed in long enough to know the truth about their own heart. The beauty in this is that as we begin to behold the truth about ourselves we actually get closer and closer to beholding God who is near to the broken hearted.
Green Leaves
May 22, 2022 • Michael McCracken • Jeremiah 17:7–8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. It is truly a blessing to trust in the Lord, but it is even greater so if the Lord, Himself is the entire reason for our trust. It is not good news simply that God is good and generous and capable of pouring out blessing upon those who trust Him. It is good news that our God has actually pledged His faithfulness toward us in such a way that we would truly be His people and that He would truly be our God. The life we live by faith we live believing a God who has shown Himself to be ultimately and eternally trustworthy. If God is truly for us then who can be against us? Life has always been meant to flow from our trust in who God is and who He has shown Himself to be.
The Curse
May 15, 2022 • Michael McCracken • Jeremiah 17:5–6
By the grace of God something was instilled in us that has made us hyper vigilant towards finding a savior. The curse is that we continue to seek that in the trust of men which usually, eventually results in self isolating self reliance. This truly is a curse. This is also why it was profoundly relevant for Jesus to describe His yoke as easy and His burden as light. Anyone who has trusted in their own strength for any length of time knows deeply how ruthless the yoke is and how heavy the burden is that they place upon themselves. In the end all other “savior” suck the life right out of us and prove over and over again that they cannot produce in us truly abundant life. How long will we be like the shrub in the desert before we take Jesus up on His offer to come to Him and find rest? Our flesh is warring against such a surrender which is why God, Himself must, at times, “make us lie down in green pastures”.
Fight the Fight of Faith
May 8, 2022 • Michael McCracken • Jeremiah 17:1–4
We will see the trustworthiness of the anger of God over sin and its destruction. Somewhere in here there might just be an invitation to join the Lord in a Spirit-filled righteous anger that lends itself toward redemption.
