7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 7:7-8
How do you process all that’s going on right now in our country and the world? When I look around, I see so much that could discourage me and cause me to hide in the deep chasm of despair and lose all hope. Our political climate and people are nervous about catching a potentially deadly virus that mutated into something that is 70% more transmissible. Most everyone now knows someone who’s been infected or died with COVID. If your presidential candidate didn’t win the election, you believe that the world as we know it will end in disaster. Gas prices are beginning to creep up, and there is much unrest around the world. Does the vaccine work? Will it cause you to grow a third eye on your forehead if you take it? It does seem that all hope is gone. But is it?
Blessings follow trust
Blessing is a word that means “to have divine favor invoked upon.” This favor should excite Christ-followers because when God gives us divine favor, He does so for His purpose and His good. We access that favor through trusting Him. It’s not a simple trust but complete confidence in God. Do you have full confidence in God? Do you allow your heart to wander through the mess of life in a COVID disabled and politically charged world?
Remember, there will always be difficult and uncertain situations. But our trust should not be in our social or political views. Our confidence should be in God, who created us to love and serve Him completely. That is how trust looks. When we trust God, He provides blessings.
Blessings follow the water
Each of us has a choice to make in life. We can either plant our lives close to the water source or try and plant ourselves far away and hope that our roots grow deeply and develop a healthy root system. One is easy, and the other is nearly impossible. I don’t think I need to tell you which is which. Trees planted in dry places tend to grow slowly and experience damage from outside influences like heat, drought, wind, and winter. However, trees planted near water grow strong and healthy roots that are not easily destroyed by outside forces.
Notice what Jeremiah says in verse 8. He says that trees connected to the water (God’s blessings) do not fear. Fear grips people today because they decided to plant their trees (lives) far away from the water (God’s blessings).
Where have you planted your tree?
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