A Tree Planted By Water
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Jeremiah 17:7-8
7. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8. 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."
Philippians 4:11-13
11. Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. 12. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. 13. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
God’s words are as timeless as God himself, aren’t they?! The message has been unchanging for thousands of years. Beginning in Eden and right up to this present day, God assures and reminds us that He is charge and He has “it” all under control, thank you very much. He doesn’t need our suggestions, our complaints, or our approval. He only “needs” us to be like Paul and like Jeremiah.
Jeremiah declares the promise of a God who started the line of His chosen people a long, long time ago. Trust in the Lord. Trust
is the Lord. (“Lord” is with a capital letter here, referring to
the lord, the lord above all other. The Alpha and Omega. By Paul’s time, God’s chosen family had grown. He expanded the line and redefined history, didn’t he?
God’s love and care for us is very much like a tree planted by water. It is an ever present source of nourishment, sustenance, of life itself. Reliance upon God allows us to endure anything life throws at us. Paul needed Jesus to learn that lesson! And God knew that most of us would need an ultimate Savior. Mankind still needs the radical, mind-bending, New Testament promise to have the kind of faith described in Jeremiah. And Paul certainly had it. His recorded letters are as timeless as is the topic. Reliance upon God is the only way to live.
Christ won us the certain reward in heaven. So no matter our circumstance, no matter what our former sins, no matter how often we think the source of life is elsewhere, God draws us back to him. Jesus is how. I call to mind the statement my young Christian brother made not too long ago. “Jesus is just irresistible.” And indeed he is. Because man had sinned so completely and so deeply, God “reinvented” himself. He sent a human baby to live and grow among us. He sent us the living well from which to drink. So that we might all live with the attitude of Paul. “in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want." Rejoice in times of plenty and abundance and thank your God for his blessings. Rejoice in times of hunger and want -- and thank your God for Jesus.
I hope you’ll join me in thanking God today, regardless of your present circumstance. And that you will thank God for the irresistible gift of His Son.
Mary
