Jeremiah 17:7-8 7But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
I have never been one for personal mission statements, life goals or self-help mantras, but if I were to choose a life verse or two, Jeremiah 17:7-8 would be on the short list of choices.
No fear. No worries. Always bearing fruit. What more could/should a Christian desire?
There are some heavy theological truths in these two small verses.
First, the initial action/belief is the responsibility of the believer. We must trust in the Lord. We must place our confidence in him. It is foolhardy to expect the worry-free, fruit-bearing life promised if our trust is misplaced. God will not force his blessings on us. Will our trust and confidence waver at times? Most likely. Peter's did. But at the end of the day, we must reaffirm our trust and confidence in Jehova Jireh.
A second truth presented in these two verses is one we would like to forget. "When heat comes" and "in a year of drought" reminds us that there will be times of trials and challenges. Whether these are borne out of bad choices we make, sin we commit or tests brought forth by God, there will be heat and drought. To allow ourselves to think the Christian life will be trouble free is not only wrong-thinking, but also in opposition to scripture.
HOWEVER, the third truth of these verses gives us hope during those times of heat and drought. Even through the trials and troubles of this short time on earth God promises comfort and peace. We are not alone when a job is lost, a spouse walks away or a doctor delivers disastrous news. If our trust and confidence are in Him, our leaves will stay green, our lives will remain free of fear and we will bear fruit.
Oh the hours of lost sleep, bottles of Pepto-Bismol and gray hairs that could have been avoided if only I had claimed this verse years ago.
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