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. “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.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:5-9

Nothing exposes flesh more than failure. All men have experienced both sides of physical life on earth. There are moments when success and accomplishment cast the illusion of invincibility. But failure exposes the flesh, bringing with it a sense of being vulnerable. The man you choose to be is determined by where you put your trust. Jeremiah paints this picture of these two men. One man trusts in his fading strength and the other trusts in the Lord.

Trusting in the strength of our flesh is cursed activity because it turns a man away from the Lord and eventually fades. Trusting in the Lord brings great blessing and an unshakable foothold. It is counterintuitive to embrace weakness as a man in a culture that celebrates physical strength. Therefore we must fight to take on the mindset of Paul who said, "I am well content with weaknesses... for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 2:10. 

DO THIS TODAY: Be content with weakness and trust in the Lord.