Blessed is the man

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

The verses above are some of the most well known in the whole of scripture. They offer an amazing promise for our lives when we trust in God and show the wonderful attributes of mercy and blessing that God provides to those who put their faith in him.

These verses, among so many others, represent the key general calling of the Christian faith. ? That is trust and faith in Christ. Indeed, faith in Christ is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) represents the only way to please God (Hebrews 11:16) and is the attribute with which God credits righteousness to our account (Gen 15:6), Trusting in the Lord also, as written above, leads to good fruit coming, even in difficult seasons.

As these difficult seasons come, trust becomes tested.? This is even seen in the lives of the great heroes of the faith. ? Abraham, who God would make a great nation, is one example of this.? In going to take the land of promise he twice came upon leaders (Pharaoh and Abimelech) that, in fear of what they might do to him for having a beautiful wife that they could steal away, lied about his relationship with her.? Even given the promise of God he used techniques and deceit to spare potential pain and suffering and didn’t, in those moments, exercise strong belief.

The children of Israel during the time of the Exodus are another good example. ? After being rescued from Egyptian captivity through God’s plagues and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (and subsequently being provided manna from heaven and quail) they demanded a Golden Calf to worship when Moses was slow in their eyes to return down the mountain. ? The God that saved and sustained them was quickly cast aside.

The examples go on, from David to Solomon to Peter, and more.???

It is easy to cast a wary eye on them for their lack of trust.? How could these men, who so benefited from God’s blessings and direction, stumble so badly?? But we should be careful to do so.? How often do we sing the praises of God in church on Sunday and then get back to doubt and fear on Monday when the work week starts? ? Even given the blessings so graciously given by God, from our relationships to our security to our very breath, we often fail to trust him.? And often in much easier situations then they struggled through.

Personally, as I am in a season of unemployment and crave meaningful work, I often feel the urge to put on a show and present a perfect version of myself to potential employers. ? I share my best success stories, minimize my weaknesses, and have a temptation to try to take full control of the interview process.? I’ve got this on my own, I say to myself.? While there is nothing wrong with doing my best and desiring a great outcome, God has used this time to teach me a powerful lesson. That is to trust in him,?glorify him and not me, and be joyful for whatever comes from the process.

While Jermiah 17:7-8 shows the blessings of trusting in Christ, the previous verses shout a warning to Judah that applies to us today.? In verse 5 of Jeremiah 17 it is written, “...Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.? He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come.….” Tough to hear from us self-sufficient types.

We can learn countless things from the Word of God.? One of those is that we can trust in Christ and not try to take everything on our own shoulders.? Techniques and strategies can be good, but not when they trample on God’s word and calling in our lives. We don’t need to misdirect or mislead, as Abraham did with Pharaoh and Abimelech, to help God achieve his plans. ? When we turn to relying on ourselves, as the prophet Jeremiah warned, no good will come of it.

Another lesson is this. God is gracious to his children even when we stumble. The covenant made with Abraham is rock solid despite Abraham’s mess ups.? ? Christ came from the seed of David even though he (David) sinned so wickedly at times. ? While we are unfaithful, he is not. ? He will accomplish his purposes.

It is very convicting to realize how often I try to rely on myself. ? And it is important to know where this leads. ? That is away from the blessings of God. ? I pray that we, in our daily life, look to intentionally and with reliance on Christ put our trust in him, He is a firm foundation indeed!