Trust in the Lord



Jeremiah 17:7-8


Blessed are those who trust in the LORD,
          whose trust is the LORD.

They shall be like a tree planted by water,
          sending out its roots by the stream.

 It shall not fear when heat comes,
          and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious,
          and it does not cease to bear fruit.

 

Trusting is hard, and I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone of that. Yet, the Bible reminds us repeatedly that it’s important to trust God with everything: our lives, ourselves, everything. What stands out about trust here is that Jeremiah doesn’t just tell us that those who trust in the Lord are blessed, he stretches it one line further to say that the Lord is our trust. Instead of relying on God and having confidence in him, the second line implies that we don’t give trust to Him, but it flows from Him to us. 

 

I struggle with trusting people because it feels like a gargantuan effort on my part. It brings up so many questions. What if they don’t do what they said they would? What if their actions somehow get me in trouble? What if things go badly? When we frame it in terms of other humans, trust is a gift we give; it’s something others earn. When God enters the picture, trust becomes completely different. He is our confidence, reliance, faith -- and trust is not something He has to earn. If (and this is a big ‘if’) we can trust in Him, we can trust others. Because we know that even in the case of “what-ifs,” human fallibility, and cynicism, He is good, we are free to trust others.

 

If we shift our mindset from trust as something to be earned to trust being gift from God that reflects His unending power and steadfastness, we become trees planted near water. Confidence in God means that even in the face of droughts where streams of hope have dried up, we can rely on Him to be our stream.


Elizabeth Henning

Comments

  1. JoyMarch 31, 2021 at 10:04 AM

    Powerful thoughts, Elizabeth - thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beth ChristianApril 1, 2021 at 4:42 AM

    Thoughts to dwell in and learn from, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bryan HolmesApril 2, 2021 at 5:36 AM

    I really enjoyed this, Elizabeth! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bryan HolmesApril 2, 2021 at 5:36 AM

    I really enjoyed this, Elizabeth! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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