Lent – Day 14: Where are you planted? : Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1

The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah describes two classes of people using the same imagery as Psalm 1.  Both claims that a life without God or a life that has no room or time for God, or a life that trust more in human beings than in God is like “a dry shrub in a wasteland…if good comes, it has no eyes for it. This image is very revealing, because to live a Godless life is to close our eyes and our heart to goodness. A man or a woman that has no time for God will go to a grand banquet and will act as if he or she is the chief mourner in a funeral. Whenever we begin to feel as if our life is a horror movie and that good times are mere interludes, we need to ask ourselves this question: “where am I planted?”.

The second imagery presented is about someone that places his or her trust in God. Those that trust in God are like trees planted by the waterside that thrust their roots to the stream; when the heat comes they feel no alarm; they have no worry in the year of drought. This image is very important. The fact they are planted by the waterside does not mean that they would not experience heat or drought, but unlike the Godless ones, they would not be alarmed or worried because they are connected to the life-giving stream. They will still remain green in the midst of the worse of droughts. When we are connected with God, we will still experience sufferings, but we will remain fruitful, peaceful and happy, because we are connected with a stream that never runs dry.

So, where are you planted? Is your root connected to the life-giving stream? Does God have a place in your life? During this season of Lent, let us give God the chance to be a part of our life; let us give him the master bedroom of our life.

May we remain planted in God and may our hearts and life be managed by God’s words. May God bless you all.