Understanding the Heart

This post has been taken from a sermon preached on Jeremiah 17:1-13

If you’ve ever felt spiritually dry, worn out, or unsure of what’s going on inside your own heart—you’re not alone. The Bible doesn’t just acknowledge that struggle; it diagnoses it. In Jeremiah 17:9, we read,

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

That verse isn’t meant to shame us, but to wake us up to reality. The heart is the control centre of life (Proverbs 4:23), but apart from God’s grace, it’s corrupted. We are often blind to our own motives, our misplaced trust, and the subtle ways sin shapes our thoughts and actions. But Jeremiah doesn’t just give us a diagnosis—he points us to the only cure.

Misplaced Trust, Parched Lives

In Jeremiah’s day, Judah was in deep spiritual decline. Instead of trusting the God who delivered them, they put their hope in political alliances with nations like Egypt (Jer. 2:18, 37). It wasn’t just poor strategy—it was spiritual adultery. Their alliances revealed a deeper sickness: they didn’t believe God would be enough to guide, protect, and sustain them.

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” (Jer. 17:5)

That misplaced trust left them like a withered shrub in the desert—lifeless, joyless, and vulnerable. And if we’re honest, we’re not so different. We may not be signing treaties with foreign nations, but we put our trust in all kinds of things: careers, relationships, routines, or even our own competence. When these become our source of peace and security, we are slowly turning from the Lord—and our hearts dry up.

Trusting the Lord in Drought

But Jeremiah doesn’t stop with a curse—he gives a picture of blessing:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord… He is like a tree planted by water… it does not fear when heat comes… and does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7–8)

Trusting the Lord doesn’t mean we avoid hardship. Drought still comes. Heat still presses in. But the person who trusts in God remains rooted, nourished, and fruitful—even when life is dry.

This is not just a poetic image; it’s a promise. We can endure suffering without spiritual collapse when our roots go deep into God’s character. But how do we trust the Lord in those droughts?

Here are a few practical ways:
 • Stay in God’s Word even when it feels dry. The Word reorients our desires and reminds us of what’s true.
 • Talk to God honestly in prayer—not with polished words but with raw dependence.
 • Lean on the church. God has given us the body of Christ to speak truth, carry burdens, and encourage one another.
 • Remember God’s past faithfulness—rehearse how He’s provided before. That anchors us when the future feels uncertain.
 • Preach the gospel to yourself daily—not just for salvation, but for strength, hope, and direction.

A New Heart Through the Gospel

Ultimately, we need more than tools or good intentions. We need new hearts.

Only the gospel can provide that. Christ bore the curse we deserved so we could be planted in the grace of God. He gives us a new heart and a new Spirit (Ezek. 36:26), and it’s through Him that we become people who trust—even in the drought.

So what’s the takeaway?
The gospel is the only cure for the heart we can’t trust.

We’re often tempted to look elsewhere for life and strength, but only the Lord satisfies. May we be a people rooted in Him—bearing fruit even when the heat comes.

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This blog post was prayerfully compiled with the assistance of AI tools for clarity and structure.