Title: Two different lives / Jeremiah 17:5-8
Think of your friends when you were young. There is no difference in appearance when they were in elementary school, but when they see each other after many years, they feel a huge difference. One day, a friend came to the office. I was an elementary school classmate, and I lived in Guro-dong and then moved to Bucheon. The friend who spent his childhood in Guro-dong came to see my name on the signboard of the church after visiting school and the neighborhood he loved. When I was young, I didn't notice any differences, but as the years passed, my friend looked much older than me. I met a friend who worked hard and was sincere.
In this way, the beginning starts similarly, but as time goes by, you see how they change differently. It's as if the angle is slightly tilted at first, but it makes a huge difference as you go on.
So is our life. Some people live depending on people, while others live dependent on God. Relying on people and relying on God may seem like little difference at first, but over the years it is bound to make a huge difference.
In conclusion, I hope you will lead a wise life that depends on God.
However, in this world, many people do not depend on God and live their lives depending on themselves. It seems that many people today depend on their own thoughts and knowledge to live on their own.
There are indeed many people who accept only what they understand with their heads and reject what they do not understand. How could a man named Jesus, who came as a man, be the Son of God, and how could he be resurrected from the dead?
Listen to the lectures that are being aired on the mass media these days. When we think of Jesus, we tend to think of him as a great teacher. How is Jesus the Son of God? Why are you saying this? This is because they accept only through the limits understood by their rational brain. Because they depend on their own intellectual abilities, they live without needing to depend on God.
Also, some people depend on material to live. If we have abundant material things, then everything will be successful, so why do we need to rely on God? I think that if you have money, you can subdue people, if you have money, you can eat whatever you want, and you can achieve whatever you want to achieve.
However, he said that those who depend on man and not on God will not see good things come as a result. How much hope and comfort is it that good things will come to people in the future? But he clearly states that he will not see good things come to those who do not trust in God.
These days around us, because of their intellectual pride, we will not see good things coming to those who deny the power of God and rely on their own knowledge rather than on God. When you do not depend on God for your material abundance but on your own material things, you will not see good things coming.
God told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. succumbed to the serpent's temptation, and after eating the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Look at the times of the judges. After a time of peace, they leave God. In the end, it results in them being ruined by other countries. The result of those who depart from God does not see good things coming.
But believe and be sure that good things are prepared for those who trust in God. Also, in the time of the Judges, when their kingdom was taken away and they were in pain, they depended on God. As a result, God sends judges to bring peace to them again.
There are many times when we want to depend on people when we live in this world. Do not forget whenever a desire arises to rely on your knowledge, on your material things, on your abilities, on your power. You will not see good things come that depend on people. But I hope that we will become believers with the conviction that good things will come to us when we trust in God.
So what specifically good things happen to us? The text tells us precisely. Three major things can be found.
First, those who depend on God have vitality. Like a tree planted by the waters, its leaves will be green, and its fruit will never cease. The greatest blessing given to those who depend on God is the vitality that keeps them alive without dying.
I'm taking a domestic flight from the United States to Los Angeles from Texas, and I'm going through the desert. When looking down through an airplane window, there is a place that has an exceptionally green light. If you look closely, you can see that there is a river flowing there. The desert is a dead land, but the trees planted by the stream are still alive.
What is the greatest blessing when we depend on God? It is a greater blessing than living well, a greater blessing than being healthy, and a greater blessing than having power. It is the blessing of life that enables us to live eternally without dying.
Jesus has shown us the way of life so that we can live forever and never die.
Second, He gives strength to those who depend on God to overcome difficulties. Both those who depend on God and those who depend on people can face difficulties. But he gives strength to those who depend on God to overcome difficulties. Even if the heat comes, even if there is a choking, He gives you the strength to overcome the pain
There are times in life when things are difficult. There are times when I hold my breath while thinking, "Why are you giving our house such a difficult task?" Some people may suffer difficulties due to traffic accidents, business difficulties, and incurable diseases. But those who depend on God will give them the strength to overcome even the difficulties. It will not fear when the heat comes; its leaves will be green, and there will be no worry in the year of drought, and it will be as the fruit does not cease.
Look at Joseph in the Bible. Joseph was hated by his brothers because he had a dream and was sold to Egypt. How painful must Joseph be when he was sold unfairly? It is also unfairly imprisoned. Betrayed by his brothers, he came to an unfamiliar land and was unfairly imprisoned, so how much he must have lamented his life. But he was a man who depended on God. Joseph gained strength to overcome the trials. It is God's blessing to those who depend on it.
It is because of the words of the Apostle Paul that we can endure even in the midst of difficulties. ?쏯o temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to you, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it??(1 Corinthians 10:13). ).
Some people depend on God, but there will be times when they will be tormented as to why he is giving me such difficulties. The difficulties that come to Christians are like therapeutic vaccinations. People who do not have antibodies are fine right now, but they are more likely to get sick someday. If we vaccinate such a person, we get a little fever and pain right away, but we can overcome the disease by developing antibodies. So, when difficult situations arise, we will not try to avoid them thinking that we will receive another injection, but if we handle them with joy, we will gain great faith.
Have a clear conviction that God will also give strength to overcome difficulties to those who depend on God.
Dear saint! What kind of life do you want to live? Will you depend on people and live your life apart from God? Or will you depend on God and live your life hoping for something better to happen? It depends on your choice.