Heat, Location And Hydration

"Thus says the LORD: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is 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.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.' " - Jeremiah 17:5-10 ESV

I doubt any of us understand our true motivations. We don't have much control over our heart. We have more control over what we think and trust in.

Trusting in God gives us a root system. Then God gives us a fruit system. He searches the heart and mind of those that trust in man and He searches those that trust in Him.

We sometimes feel the heat. If we are new to trusting God then it will take time for the root system to form but it will. Once it forms we have a resource. A tree that is watered will produce fruit in season.

As it gets hot outside we see clearly that location is key to who is going to feel the heat. God likens our trust focus to our location and access to water.

'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.'

'Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.'

This blessing principle reminds me of this verse because it has two parts.

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." - Hebrews 11:6 ESV

We have trust 'in' the Lord and our trust 'is' the Lord.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God," - Ephesians 2:8 ESV

We trust and God does all the work by and in grace.

If we know God then there was a moment when we started trusting Him. It was no longer someone else's faith. It was our faith. That trust is the same trust we can have today. We trusted Him to save us knowing we couldn't save ourselves. Now we trust Him and He plants us where we couldn't plant ourselves.

I trust You God. You are trustworthy. It might get hot today. If not today then tomorrow... I don't want to be wandering in the wasteland of human expectation. Put me by the river. Make me fruitful. Thank You God.

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