Rekindled

by Rocky Fleming

Day Four – Transfer and Trust  

“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God.  They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 MSG)  

If I were to close my eyes and imagine an oasis in the middle of a barren desert, it would be the visual caption I see in this Scripture.  Look closely at the passage and imagine such a place, as it contrasts to the hot, dry, barren desert that surrounds it.  The water, the trees, the shade from the hot sun brings blessed reprieve.  This is a place to restore from a tiring time in the desert.  Now consider another view where a person is in spiritual burnout, or close to it.  This person is searching for such an oasis of sorts to go from the desert of despair and dryness that they find themselves in.  This is a time of vulnerability, a place where this victim can be led astray.  As we know, many stranded people in a desert have been led astray by mirages.  These people are tired and even delusional, and will run to these deceiving images while depleting themselves even more of precious physical resources.  Once there they discover that they ran toward a false image, a deception, and a lie. 

Many people have died pursuing these false hopes that they run to, for this is a normal reaction to the desperation they are in.  Remember my point that when we are in desperation, it is our instinct to run.  But where do we run and what do we run to?  Many mistakes happen here. Now imagine a spiritually burned out man.  He too is looking for a quick way out, and he will run to it if he perceives there is hope.  He is vulnerable, and can easily respond to false images of hope or distraction.  These are mirages, or remedies that the enemy of God’s man brings to him while in his desert of burnout.  These solutions or distractions look appealing as do all of Satan’s remedies.  They look to be helpful for giving him immediate relief and we think we need an immediate exit from burnout when we are in it.  It promises a shortcut to fix our situation and this in itself has always been Satan’s appeal with the temptation of immediate gratification.  Don’t fall for these mirages. When Jesus was tempted by Satan after His forty days of physical depletion, Satan tempted Him at His weakest moments of starvation and other weaknesses with solutions that gave Him immediate relief.  How did Jesus respond? 

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”  (Matthew 4:4 ESV)

 “It is written” is Jesus’ solution to identifying a mirage Satan sends our way.  It is God’s Word that shows us what is God’s path and where it heads, or Satan’s diversion (mirage) from God’s path.  They cannot co-exist.  God’s Word emphatically and thoroughly points out that our next step to take is a deeper trust and in fact, the deepest trust we have experienced, to enter His sanctuary as mentioned in the Scripture above.  It is not a “feel good” trust, for when we are in the desert nothing feels good.  It is a trust in the truth of Scripture in spite of feelings, and to trust the truth of where Scripture leads our weary soul, even though we are still in the desert.  It is a trust in our Shepherd to lead us to His oasis.  Now take the next step by crying out in prayer:

“Lord You know my need to fall under Your shadow like sheep do in the shadow of their shepherd when the sun is scorching them.  I trust You to take me through this barren time and to find my relief in You.  I want to go to this place for this relief and restoration and to be in Your presence.  I will follow You there.  Now please lead me.”  

Tomorrow we will conclude this series with finding the shadow I speak of, and that awaits you.