Jeremiah 17:7-8
7“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.
Verses five through seven talks about how a person is cursed if they put all their trust in mere humans. I am thinking not just humans but money and the things it could buy. How many times have you been failed by a mere human or failed someone you love? We all fail. We can build strong relationships with others but at one point or another someone will fail the other. We must not put all our trust in one person, our boss, or even our government. But we can trust in God!
Have you ever been blessed by God because you have put your trust in Him in a certain situation? I have lots of times. This week we had severe storms come through my area on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday, we had a tornado west of me about fifty miles. These severe storms caused many trees to uproot and semis to be blown over. Thankfully no one was hurt or killed. I was just about to leave work Wednesday when my phone alerted me the area was under a tornado warning. I work at Walmart and everyone, associates, and customers alike, were told to go to the back of the store. Most people did. I made myself comfortable in the breakroom and waited. While I waited, I watched the news on the TV and saw the storm was worse where my brother and sister-in-law live so I texted them praying they were alright. They were in at Dells Christian Campgrounds which is south of where they lived. They reported later no damage was done there. Then I messaged my youngest kid to make sure they were okay. I was praying the whole time while sitting there. God kept us safe. Some lost electricity but no one was hurt.
You see we can have hope and confidence in God during our storms of life. We can be like this tree planted by the river. Its roots are deep. It does not have to worry about storms or drought. While it does lose its leaves in the fall it does offer wonderful shade in the summer heat. I know because Tuesday before the storm it was hot, and I was fishing with my kid at that park. At one time I took a break from fishing and just sat on a bench under that tree. I just sat there enjoying its shade and enjoying the surrounding nature. I do not think I even looked at my phone. While this tree does not produce fruit it does provide comfort and protection. It is beautiful to behold. Our fruit may not be noticeable but maybe it shows up as a comfort or protection to someone in need. We can bare fruit if we have hope and confidence in God. Do you have hope and confidence?
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So very important to not lose hope and confidence. I myself am guilty of losing both at times, however, thankfully it’s never long as I know I can count on God. Glad everyone was ok with the tornados.
I love that you can take real life situations and apply it to your scripture reading.
Trusting in the Lord is truly the only thing that gets me through some days. Thanks for the reminder.
Hope and confidence are so important. We get to remind ourselves each day.
Hope and confidence, something we all need. Inspiring!
I’ve always loved the comparison between deep faith and trust and the tree with roots that go deep into the earth. I believe. And I trust.
You work at Walmart? I worked there for nine years before I got my teaching degree. Be careful in storms, though. If they have you go back to the back of the store during a tornado, that may not be safe. We live in Joplin, Missouri, and we lived through the Joplin EF-5 tornado. Some people died in the Walmart just a few minutes from my house. 158 people died from that storm. My husband worked the ER that night, and he’ll never forget what he saw. I guess what I’m saying is take cover away from the store if you can. The tornado cut a path of destruction through our town destroying stores, restaurants, schools, churches, and homes. Get underground, if you can. (You don’t have to publish this comment if you’d rather not. I understand. Storm safety is an issue that hits rather close.)
I love that your faith guides you & helps you to be the best version of yourself. Whether it’s during a situation or reflecting on one afterwards. Love hearing your interpretations <3
Jeremiah 17: 7-9 are perfect verses about hope and confidence. Loved your examples on how to apply to real life.
Never lose hope and confidence! Always keep the faith.