When I was young, I wanted to be a great athlete.
A football player.
Coaches pushed us hard,
and we pushed ourselves harder,
hungry for something more.
Some guys went further than the rest—
steroids, hormones, drugs—
anything to get stronger, faster, bigger.
They followed the loudest voices,
the heroes they admired,
the expectations they thought they had to meet.
And the truth is—
the world hasn’t changed much.
We still chase false prophets:
influencers, celebrities, politicians—
anyone who promises power, success, belonging.
We still look for strength in the flesh.
We still trust the wrong voices.
But Jeremiah warns us:
trust in human strength,
and you become a barren bush in the desert—
no fruit, no life,
just dry ground and empty promises.
Trust in the Lord,
and you become a tree planted by water—
roots deep, leaves green,
steady in heat,
fruitful even in drought.
Jesus shows us the same truth
in the rich man and Lazarus.
One trusted comfort and status.
The other had nothing but God.
And in the end,
the one who looked strong was empty,
and the one who looked weak was carried by angels.
The human heart is twisted,
easily deceived.
Only God can probe it.
Only God can heal it.
So the question becomes simple:
Where am I still chasing strength in the flesh?
Whose voice am I following?
Because God is still planting trees beside living water.
He is still calling us out of the desert
and into a trust that bears real fruit—
fruit that lasts.
And He is still
the only One
worth following.
Lord,
Turn my heart from voices
that promise strength
but leave me empty.
Plant me by Your water,
where my roots rest in You.
Keep me steady in the heat,
away from false prophets.
Help me hear Your voice
Lift my eyes from self‑reliance to Your mercy.
Teach me to trust only You.
Amen.
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