Dig Deep: Jeremiah 17:5-10

Dig Deep

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Rev. Dr. Rhonda Abbott Blevins

February 16, 2025

Thus says the LORD:

Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength,

whose hearts turn away from the LORD.

They shall be like a shrub in the desert and shall not see when relief comes.

They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.

The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it?

I the LORD test the mind and search the heart,

to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.

______

“These are the times that try men’s souls,” Thomas Paine wrote as he reflected on the challenges

facing a young nation. Today, those words still ring true as we face our own trials and

tribulations. In times like these, scripture offers us wisdom that speaks across the centuries.

The scripture lesson we read together toward this end is from Jeremiah, often called the

“weeping prophet,” who served God during one of the darkest periods in Judah’s history. He

ministered during the final decades before Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon in 587 BCE, watching as

his people faced drought, political turmoil, and eventual exile. In these desperate times, many of

Judah’s leaders and people turned to political alliances with Egypt and other nations, trusting in

human power rather than in God’s providence. Jeremiah spoke these words to a community

teetering between faith and fear, between trust in God and reliance on human strength.

Jeremiah knew intimately the landscape he described. The Judean wilderness, with its harsh

conditions and scarce water sources, provided him with powerful imagery that his audience

would have immediately understood. Living in a land where access to water meant the difference

between life and death, they knew exactly what it meant to be like a shrub in the desert or a tree

by the stream.

In this passage, we encounter two contrasting images: a withered shrub in the desert and a

flourishing tree by the water. Both face the same harsh conditions – the scorching sun, the dry

winds, the periods of drought. Yet one struggles while the other thrives. What makes the

difference? It’s all about where they’ve put down their roots.

The tree that prospers has done the hard work of digging deep, extending its roots toward the

life-giving stream. This isn’t a superficial endeavor. Those roots must push through rocky soil,

navigate around obstacles, and persistently seek the water that will sustain life. Even when the

surface appears dry and hostile, these roots continue their determined journey downward and

outward.

Let me share a story that powerfully illustrates what it means to dig deep. In 2010, thirty-three

Chilean miners were trapped 2,300 feet underground when their mine collapsed. For seventeen

days, no one knew if they were alive. But they had found a way to survive by creating a

community of hope in the darkness. They rationed two days’ worth of emergency food to last for

weeks. They drank dirty water from radiators. But most importantly, they organized themselves

into a community, establishing routines, assigning tasks, and supporting one another emotionally

and spiritually. They even designated a corner of their underground prison as a prayer room. For

sixty-nine days, they had to dig deep – not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally – to

survive. When they were finally rescued, their story became a testament to human resilience and

the power of hope, faith, and community in the darkest of circumstances.

Like those miners, in our modern context, we face many sources of spiritual thirst. We exhaust

ourselves chasing after success that never satisfies. We scroll endlessly through social media,

hoping to find connection but feeling more isolated than ever. We pursue financial security, only

to find that material wealth brings its own anxieties. We place our trust in political leaders or

movements, only to face disappointment. We rely on our own strength, our own wisdom, our

own resources – and like that shrub in the desert, we find ourselves withering.

This stream by which our tree is planted is no ordinary water source. It is the same life-giving

stream that flowed through the Garden of Eden at the beginning of creation, and it is the same

river that flows from the city of God in Revelation, bringing healing to the nations. When we dig

deep into our faith, we tap into this eternal stream - a source of living water that has nourished

God’s people from the dawn of creation and will continue to flow until the end of time.

So how do we dig deep? How do we extend our roots toward this life-giving stream? Let me

offer some practical ways — you don’t have to practice all of these things, but maybe try at least

one from each category I will offer:

First, we dig deep through spiritual practices that have sustained believers through generations:

 Start each day with contemplative prayer, not just rushing through a list of requests but

sitting in God’s presence

 Study scripture not just for information, but for transformation, letting it shape our

perspectives and priorities

 Practice Sabbath rest, stepping away from the noise and demands of our busy world

 Join in regular worship, allowing communal praise and lament to shape our souls

Second, we dig deep through authentic community:

 Participate in small groups where we can be honest about our struggles and questions

 Seeing a therapist or a spiritual director who can guide us through difficult seasons

 Engage in service alongside others, finding strength in shared purpose, like through our

Peace Café or our annual Habitat for Humanity builds

 Practice vulnerability and accountability with trusted friends

Third, we dig deep by cultivating spiritual awareness:

 Take time for self-examination, looking honestly at where we’ve placed our trust

 Practice gratitude, recognizing God’s presence in both blessing and challenge

 Listen for God’s voice in unexpected places – in nature, in relationships, in the ordinary

moments of life

 Learn to recognize and resist the false streams that promise life but leave us thirsty

When we dig deep, we discover resources we never knew existed. Just as that tree finds water

flowing beneath the parched earth, we find strength we didn’t know we possessed, hope in

places we hadn’t thought to look, and community in unexpected corners of our lives.

In our world today, we face challenges that can feel overwhelming – climate change, political

division, economic uncertainty, social upheaval. These are indeed times that try our souls. But

like that tree by the water, we have access to resources that run deeper than our problems.

Remember: the same sun that withers the shallow-rooted shrub causes the deep-rooted tree to

flourish. The difference lies not in the circumstances we face, but in where we’ve chosen to sink

our roots.

May we be a people who trust deeply, root ourselves firmly, and continue to bear fruit even in the

most challenging seasons of life. For when we dig deep, we discover that God’s resources are

more than sufficient for whatever trials we may face.