“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They 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.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8 NLT
If you live in wide open plains you are familiar with tumble weeds. On any of the many windy days in the plains you can see “tumble weeds” or shrubs that have been plucked up by the wind and sent spinning without purpose or destination.
The scriptures above paints a clear picture of the blessing we can have in our lives if we put our trust in God and grow roots in that relationship. When we are rooted in Him the trials and cares of this life will still come, but they will not tear us away from our purpose. The Bible says “… they do not fear when the heat comes, its leaves remain green and it never ceases to bear fruit.”
This passage also details the lives of those who do not have roots, or a trusting relationship with God. Rather their trust is in man and they find their strength in their own hands. “He is like a shrub and shall not see any good come.”
When we are connected to God, He is our source of strength, He nourishes us and He is our provider. Trusting in God does not mean that the “heat” will not come, but it means He will sustain us in the midst of the trial.
Whatever you may be going through today, dig deeper. Your hidden root system of prayers, faith and trust in God will be life sustaining. Plant yourself by the living water and let Him be your source.
That Could Preach 