BEAUTIFUL GATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY TDE OLUWASIWAJUMI DANIEL
15TH, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 2016.

TOPIC: EMPTY CONFIDENCE
TEXT: JEREMIAH 17:5-10.
MEMORY VERSE: THUS SAITH THE LORD; CURSED BE THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN MAN, AND MAKETH FLESH HIS ARM, AND WHOSE HEART DEPARTETH FROM THE LORD. JEREMIAH 17:5.

Confidence is self assurance in your ability. The original and universal sin of the human heart is departing from God and making flesh its confidence. This idolatry of earthly things is the source of the wickedness and misery with which the earth is filled. Do not make a stand on your resources, but build your hopes on God. We may expect help from men, so far as God enables them to help us, but we must rest our trust in God alone.

Place all your trust and confidence in the wisdom, power, kindness and faithfulness of God only. Making our applications to men and raising our expectations from them as principal agents is wrong because they are but instruments in the hand of Providence. When you put too much on a man to help you and save you there are always disappointment and vexation, do not depend upon creatures for success and relief when you are in trouble. When you put your confidence in man you put a cheat upon yourself; for Jeremiah 17:6 said “FOR HE SHALL BE LIKE THE HEATH IN THE DESERT, AND SHALL NOT SEE WHEN GOOD COMETH; …, IN A SALT LAND AND NOT INHABITED.”

When good comes he shall not see it, he shall not share in it; when the times mend they shall not mend with him, his expectation shall be continually frustrated; when others have a harvest he shall have none. Those that trust to their own righteousness and strength, and think they can do well enough without the merit and grace of Christ, consequently make flesh their arm, and their souls cannot prosper in graces or comforts; they can neither produce the fruits of acceptable services to God nor reap the fruits of saving blessings from him; they dwell in a dry land. Wake up.

ACTION POINT: PUT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD ALONE.