Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.
He will be like a tree planted by water, who sends its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
This verse jumped off of the page when I read it. What stood out so much to me was the fact that Jeremiah used one of those simile things to compare a man that trusted in God to a tree. I mean, a tree of all things!! Well since the comparison was made, I thought that I would write about it and I wrote down what I hear when I read these verses:
The man that trust in the Lord that finds a way to but his confidence in God oppose to his paycheck, his education, his woman, or anything else we tend to trust in. This man will have a special favor, enlightenment and "swagger" on his life. And this swagger will mimic these four things:
1. He does not fear when heat comes:
Heat represents the stress(es) of our life. The things that will literally kill you if you allow them to do it. For us, that could mean debt or an obnoxious bill collector. The whispers of unemployment and the rising cost of everything. Its the intense feeling of pain in our bodies that wake us out of our sleep. Or the phone call that alerts of death/sickness to our children or someone in our family. Its the reality of being faced with a potential bankruptcy, foreclosure or divorce. All of these things bring a degree of heat to our life, but this verse says that you won't fear in those times. It doesn't mean that the heat isn't coming, it just means that we're not bothered by it. This man is not in fear, toting these worries on his back. Rather he is relying on a God strong enough to carry these problems for him.
Why does this man not fear when the heat comes? Because he has confidence in a God who is bigger than the heat that comes and confident that his God will see him through them.
2. His leaves are always green:
A great indicator for the life of a tree is in the leaves. A healthy, robust tree is garnished with some of the biggest, brightest and greenest leaves. And a tree that vibrant can be seen from a far off. Similarly, this dude is strong, vibrant and healthy. He's the epitome of wellness and you can see it on him from a distance. He looks good, walks with his head up and greets people with a smile. He has a swagger about him that exudes confidence.
Why does this man have that swagger? Because his confidence is in his God, that helps him to look "fresh".
3. He has no worries in a year of drought:
When I read this line, I thought about how often I say, "No Worries" to certain situations and circumstances in life. I found it interesting that in a time of drought, famine, lack or when the economy is at its worse, this guy isn't bothered by those circumstances. It doesn't matter if it now cost him $80 bucks to fill his tank where it was once a skosh under $40. Or if his house doesn't appraise for what it once did when he bought it. His confidence is in the Lord!! He doesn't complain about the gas prices, instead he believes that he'll always have the $80 when he goes to the tank. He's thankful that, his God provided for him once again. And he is thankful that when he is ready to sell his home that God will work out the transaction, allowing him to have a quick sale and still make a profit. This guy is fearless regardless of what the world is doing and saying around him.
Why is he able to say "No Worries", in a season when everything appears to be failing all around him? Because he is confident in the Lord's economy and he operates in that one.
4. He never fails to bear fruit!!
Anything that bears fruit is really a testament to its productivity and effectiveness and I get that. But what really stands out to me, is that the words "never fail" was used to describe his productivity. I'm normally skeptic when people use words like "always and never" because I think there's always an exception to the rule. Someone says "You never speak when you come into the office." Really?? I have never spoke at least once when I walked through those doors? Not even once?? (Insert Skeptic Face). But that flawless record has to be taken into consideration when its presented in the bible!! This verse says that this guy will bear fruit (be productive, effective) EVERY TIME, IN ANY PLACE, WITHOUT FAIL..ALWAYS!! Put this dude anywhere and he's rising to the top; he improves everything and everyone around him. This guy is the Magic Johnson of men (making everyone around him better, get it??)....
Why will this man "never fail" to be effective, "always" producing, thriving and giving? You already know...
May your confidence always be in a God that never fails....
I am a king and these are my thoughts.....
