You Gotta Trust Someone

September 2008

Jeremiah 17:5-8 says: “This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. 6 He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD. 8 He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn't fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.”

I don’t want to make this too long, but God said a mouthful here, didn’t He? So often we trust in mankind or human strength – many times our own. I used to work with a man that had a sign on his desk that said, “if it is to be, it is up to me.” While I understand the sentiment of that, it is a statement that is indicative of common, erroneous thinking. In fact, it is thinking that God tells us leads to spiritual blindness, (“cannot see when good comes”) dryness (“dwells in the parched places”), and isolation (“in a land where no one lives”). In fact, Arabah is the region of the Dead Sea. Here are three interesting facts about that region: first, it is an absolute desert; secondly, absolutely nothing lives in the Dead Sea… not even microscopic bacteria; finally, it is the lowest place on the Earth – hundreds of feet below sea level. In short, this is not desirable real estate for building the houses of our lives. Can you imagine the ad in the paper for that? For sale: 1 remaining plot in the hottest, driest, loneliest, most lowdown place in the world.

Now look at the other side of the coin. Here’s what happens when we trust God: we live well watered, fear-free and worry-free lives. The tree seems to have one responsibility… “send its roots out toward a stream.” This passage also gives us a hint about two things that rob us of our fruitfulness – fear, and worry. Those two thieves are much easier to keep at bay when I shift the burden of my trust from me or others, to God. I don’t worry about whether I’ve done all I could have done to make things happen. I don’t fear that others will let me down. Instead, I trust that all God’s promises are “yes and amen” and that “He who began a good work in you (me), will continue to perform it until the day of the Lord.” Are you sending your roots out toward a stream (the Holy Spirit)? If so, trust God when heat or drought comes.