Jeremiah 17:5-6
Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
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."
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
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."
I was driving down the
boulevard today when I noticed the workout gym sign above that says it all about how the world thinks. Ah but I need to be careful how I categorize the subject
because, I vividly remember when I too worshiped my fleshly body during a
tumultuous period in my life. I would work out 4 times a week pumping iron
looking fit and trim which I must admit, burned away my depression paving the
way to a more clear mind, so I thought. I can recall putting all of my effort
into planning and performing in the gym like a fiend just for muscle tone. This was
my religion. And as I look back, it was all vanity and self gratification.
Little did I know at the time I was digging deeper and deeper into sin
separating myself from God more and more, and I felt good (sic) doing it!
I know brethren in the church that maintain regular weekly gym workouts, are they worshiping their physical bodies? Well lets not
be judgmental. The difference is this.
They are mature in the faith to know their physical bodies aren't the center of
their lives - Jesus is. I know that if they felt working out got in the way of
their faith and service to Christ, they would drop the work out regiment. We
need to remind ourselves, God gives us this shell of a body for a little while
as we prepare our minds and spirits for service and eternity with Him. Is your
physical body fit and trim? Good for you. And if it isn't there really is no spiritual consequence because no matter the shape of our physical bodies, the important question God is interested in is this, "Is your spiritual life fit and trim
for God?"
Here is the best section of
Jeremiah's words to us today that fills the godly soul with a life of eternal hope, and
with the right direction in his or her "spiritual workout" for God.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
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"
Your spiritual gym sign of Life might read:
And whose hope is the Lord.
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"
Your spiritual gym sign of Life might read:
Be the one NOT talked about, And the one talking about Jesus
