SCRIPTURE
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn't fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
OBSERVATION
I never thought about a tree being fearful or worrying. I suppose there are quite a few things that could cause a tree to be anxious; chainsaws, woodpeckers, and hail come to mind. In this paragraph, Jeremiah writes about heat and drought. The only way the tree survives is by sending its roots out toward a stream where it is nourished and sustained through the rough time.
APPLICATION
This passage isn't about a tree it's about me. What will I do in times of drought and heat? Those times when the pressure's on and things aren't going so well. If I trust in myself I tend to ask, "How can I figure this out?" If I trust in money I worry, "Will I have enough to make it?" If I trust in others I'm anxious, "Will they let me down?" All of those questions can leave me worried and fearful. However to be blessed, I need to trust in the Lord. He's my confidence and source of strength...even in the droughts of life.
The tree was planted by the stream but it had to do something...send out its roots. God is always near but it's up to me to seek him and reach out to him. It's a decision to trust in God. When I trust in Him I can do more than survive I can produce fruit in my life by learning valuable lessons, growing to become more like Christ, strengthening my faith, etc. I realize life is like the weather, it can change from one minute to the next, sometimes drastically. But instead of withering in the heat I can weather the storm, not just surviving but thriving. I can be blessed by trusting in the Lord.
PRAYER
God, thank you that you are there in the droughts of life. Help me to trust in you, especially in the dry times when the heat is on. Amen.
