Is and In

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” — Jeremiah 17:7 (NRSVUE)

Years ago, I was in Minnesota on business. In talking with different people, I noticed pictures on their desks and office walls—images of what looked like small mobile homes sitting out on a sheet of ice. Some of the photos showed the inside: little kitchens, televisions, comfortable chairs arranged in a circle as if for a weekend gathering. After seeing three or four of these pictures in different offices—and confessing my ignorance—I finally asked what these structures were.

They turned out to be ice‑fishing cabins. As soon as the ice grew thick enough—usually sometime in December or early January, once it reached that 16‑inch range—these little homes were pulled onto the frozen lakes, and their owners spent every weekend out on the ice. Cooking, relaxing, fishing, laughing—living life on something strong enough to hold them.

Jeremiah says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” Those two small words—in and is—carry a deep and important distinction. To trust in the Lord is to turn toward God, to place our confidence in God’s goodness and care. It is the step onto the ice. It is the choice to lean toward grace instead of fear.

But Jeremiah goes further. He says the Lord is our trust. That is the moment when trust stops being something we do and becomes something God is. Our security no longer rests on our ability to trust well, but on God’s ability to hold us faithfully. It is the cabin on the ice—the life built on God’s strength, not our own.

It is easy to trust in God when life feels steady. But Jeremiah invites us deeper: to let God become the very substance of our trust, the ground beneath our feet, the One strong enough to bear the weight of our hopes, our worries, and our days. We step toward Him—and then we discover He is already holding us.

Gracious God, teach us to trust in You, and let our trust be You. Help us step onto the ice of faith, and then rest in the strength of Your presence beneath us. Hold us when our confidence wavers, steady us when life feels thin, and root our lives in Your unfailing love. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim