“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
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 17:7-8
To truly trust in the Lord is to be rooted in the source of all life and nourishment. To trust in God is to fully ground your life and identity in His person, His power, His presence, and His provision. It’s about building your life on obedience to God, worship of God, growth in God, and the experience of God in you through faith in Jesus Christ. Trusting in God goes beyond being faithful in attendance at church or serving well in ministry. Trusting in God is about choosing to build your life and your sense of being on the foundation of God and His love for you through Jesus Christ rather than on the foundation of career, money, relationship, family, or self. Those can all be good things, but they aren’t guaranteed to last forever. God will last forever and so will His steadfast, loyal, loving faithfulness toward you.
Hard times are inevitable in life. The dry season will come. Droughts will come. Storms will come. Illnesses. Accidents. Injustices. Disasters. Bankruptcies. Deaths. Failures. Betrayals. When you fully trust in God, you don’t need to fear these things. They may well happen and they will certainly be painful, but you will endure in the love of God. You will persevere in the strength of God. You will flourish and bear fruit in the presence of God. Why? Because you know that your worth is found in God, your purpose is found in God, and your strength to endure and obey comes from God. He will provide!
So, have you trusted in God? Really trusted in Him, not just liked Him? Is He the source of your identity or is that something else in your life? Is He the source of your security or is that something else in your life? Is He the source of your joy and peace or is that something else in your life? Is He where you find your sense of meaning and purpose or is it found somewhere else? If you haven’t already, spend time in prayer today to commit your life completely into the hands of God. Claim the promise of these verses for your life and commit to trust in God through radical obedience to Jesus Christ. #FollowJesus