Are you a Shrub or a Tree?

Jeremiah 17: 5-6, “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.  He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. ‘

One of my Elementary School teachers used to say to us, “Boys & Girls, you have two choices – and only two choices. Follow the rules in my classroom and have a great year! Don’t follow the rules in my classroom and have a horrible year. There is NO middle ground.”

Jeremiah 17: 7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Which are you? A Shrub? Or A Tree?

Sometimes we make life more complicated than it needs to be. It’s like my Elementary Teacher says, “We have two choices – that’s it – two choices. Follow the Rules or Don’t Follow the Rules. There is no in between.

It is more complicated to pick a jar of peanut butter.

Connie sent me to the grocery store the other day on my way home from work. She wanted peanut butter. I guess its been awhile since I had to choose peanut butter. There is an entire aisle devoted simply to peanut butter. And its not just peanut butter anymore. Its Almond Butter, Sunflower Butter, Coconut Butter – What?

There’s Natural, Organic, Crunchy, Smooth, Chunky, Creamy – and even one that is Earth Balanced…I took a moment to see if there was one called Earth Unbalanced.

Cursed is the man who trusts in man…Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

I choose to be a tree, planted by water, that doesn’t have to fear or be anxious, or concerned about not bearing fruit.