Devotions: The Blessings of Being Rooted in God

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.

For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

These verses come from a section talking about how deceptive and untrustworthy our hearts are. We cannot trust our hearts to lead us in the right or best direction. It also says that we cannot (should not) trust in man, partly because man is mortal, sinful and has a heart just a deceptive as ours. Man is also weak and stupid compared to God. Why would we rely on others instead of God? How can they compare to Him in wisdom, strength or power? We are infinitely blessed if we put our trust in God, not just in theory, but with intention and entirety. We have to consciously seek God’s help and rely on Him alone to do it. That doesn’t mean we should never seek the help or advice of others, but we should go to God first. That was the mistake of Israel. They relied on Egypt to deliver them from oppression, they trusted in the strength of men rather than turning to God to save them. The blessings of trusting God first and foremost? We will be like a tree planted by water, with deep roots, evergreen leaves and abundant fruit. Remember this was written in the Middle East, a land of few trees or water. In order for a tree to survive it had to be near water, and most trees were not much to look at. But a tree that was planted (which implies it is also tended rather than wild) by water will not thirst in drought, it will always have enough, and its leaves will never dry up for lack of water. Trusting in God keeps us from want; we will always have what we need because He is the God who provides. We don’t have to fear when troubles come because He will be there to sustain us. It will yield fruit. We will continue to grow and be fruitful, productive, if we trust in God. If we seek Him continually, we will always be filled and always be growing, so we will always bear godly fruit. If we seek help elsewhere, chances are we will have seasons of drought where our leaves will whither and our branches barren of fruit. But if we trust in God, even in suffering we will continue to grow and produce. Trust in the Lord and be fruitful!