Devotion March 2018 - LPNI

Jeremiah 17: 7-8

“Trust” is something I’ve always wished could be trusted with greater regularity.  By God’s grace, there are people and things that are truly trustworthy.  But too often, it seems, trust is misplaced.  Placing trust in promises, advertising, institutions, guarantees, neighbors, elected leaders, friends, and even in ourselves many times leads to disappointment.  It would be nice if we could be better judges of what and whom to trust.

In our on-going search for trustworthiness, there really is only one place to go to be absolutely certain of trust – to our loving God.  There’s a picture that is crafted by God through Jeremiah in the Old Testament that speaks of trust and how we can be blessed when we place our trust in the Lord.  I’ve always appreciated picturesque illustrations in God’s word of truths God wishes to convey.  Here is one such: “Blessed is the man who trusts in 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)

Imagine if, in our daily lives, we would trust more in our God than we do in others and in ourselves!  Imagine if, in our heart of hearts, we would know that we are in God’s hands!  Imagine if we would truly believe that God is fully capable of understanding and dealing with any challenges we face!  Imagine if we never once had to doubt that our Lord Jesus knows everything about us and cares for each of us so much that he was willing to give up his life for us.  These things are rooted in our faith.  If the roots are deep, we will be like a tree planted by the water, and we will remain strong.

So often in our lives drought threatens and drought comes.  Likewise heat.  We are tempted to lose hope.  There is an absence of good answers.  Our spirit withers.  We fear what might happen.  It’s even difficult to express our faith and bear fruit.  But God promises life and faith-giving sustenance.  We can be beautiful, strong, and fruit-bearing Christians who are not devastated by periods of drought or heat in our lives.  And we can know that all that beauty and life will come from a complete and unwavering trust in our God

A hymn I have sung often in my life was written by Frances Ridley Havergal, who lived in the mid-1800s.  She wrote Christian poetry and many hymns.  She experienced health problems in her life and died at the age or 42.  Still, she blossomed as a tree planted by water.  A hymn she wrote, titled “I am trusting thee, Lord Jesus”. has this as one of its stanzas.  “I am trusting thee to guide me; thou alone shalt lead.  Every day and hour supplying all my need.”  It’s a nice confession for all those with deep roots of faith in Jesus Christ!  

Paul Devantier, M.Div., M.S., LL.D

Speaker, syndicated BY THE WAY radio program

2509 Schuman Road,  Arbor Vitae, WI  54568  USA

571-235-1616   pauldevantier@gmail.com