"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord."
Jeremiah 17:7 (NRSV)
Who do we trust? What should we Trust? The world tells us we should trust leaders, systems, even the mufflers on our cars (“Trust the Midas touch.”) But not all trust is equal. Let's look at the poem (17:5-8), surrounding this verse (bold added by me).
"Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit."
In God, we can, and should, place our complete trust. The text says when we do that, we will be blessed. The second part of that verse 17 speaks to the primacy of God's trust. It comes first because God is first in our lives. All other people and things are secondary. When we place our trust in humans, we will often be sorely disappointed.
Don’t get me wrong, trust is good! To move through life successfully, we must rely on others’ honesty and faithfulness -- and exhibit those same qualities ourselves. But make no mistake, God is absolute when it comes to trust. In his love and compassion, he has always, and will always, act in our best interest. He is continually working for our salvation.
Lord, we place our trust in you above all others. We confess we are bombarded by other messages to trust around us; although these are often empty words and promises, we are tempted, tempted to turn our trust from you too far lesser things and to mere mortals. Lord, please help us to keep our focus on you above all others. Help us be like the tree planted by the water that stands when the heat comes. We pray this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Peace,
Pastor Tim
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