Blessed in Trust (YouVersion Daily Refresh)

Jeremiah 17 begins with a rebuke. God is calling out the Israelites for their idolatry, for trusting in other gods and forsaking Him and His teachings. Like a parent with a child who’s made a terrible choice, God makes it very clear that these choices have led and will lead to consequences. And yet, rather than only focusing on all that’s been lost and will be lost because of Israel’s terrible choices, Jeremiah takes a moment to bring a refreshing reminder:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” 
Jeremiah 17:7 NIV

He calls those who trust Him “blessed,” even as chaos, sin, and idolatry reign around them. He says that people who trust in God “will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out 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.” (Jeremiah 17:8 NIV)

We get to choose who and what we worship. Who is your confidence in? Who do you trust? If it is the Lord, take heart knowing that in this you are blessed. An abundant life in God, full of fruit even when sin is all around, is the mark of having chosen to trust Him. What an incredible thing it is to be able to make this choice!

My Thoughts

I am not one who trusts easily. In fact, it is difficult for me to trust people. You see, I had a rather traumatic experience in my early adulthood and that has colored my world a deep shade of wariness. My husband and I had been married a few years and had a new baby when I got a call in the middle of the night from my grandmother. She was frantically insisting that I get in the car right away and drive from SC to VA because my parents were leaving and I would never see them again. What?!? I awakened my husband, we prayed, talked to Nanny again and then packed and headed to Virginia, with my husband on emergency leave. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, my parents and siblings were gone. Truly gone! The sheriff’s office took over the house, daddy was apparently wanted by several law enforcement agencies and I had no idea for over two years where my family was. I was devastated and struck by such a feeling of despair. My father who had always protected me and shielded me from my abusive mom was some kind of criminal and he had left with my family for parts unknown. So, trust? Not happening. If my father could do something so bad that he had to run and hide, then who could be trustworthy?

The fortunate thing for me was that I was already a Christian, so I prayed a lot and gave my anxiety to God. He became my “go to” for all things that I would normally talk to my dad about, like a noise the car was making or whether to look for a house or just keep renting. I found out that God is totally trustworthy and when my confidence is in Him, I can relax and know that He is handling things.

Even the strange events with my parents was in God’s hands. After several years, out of the blue, I got a letter from my mom telling me where they were and asking if we could visit so she could see her granddaughter. Yes, daddy was still in trouble and he ended up in and out of different prisons due to his involvement with drugs. But I did have my mom and siblings back and my father occasionally. I didn’t trust daddy ever again, but I did forgive him because God led me to do that and to restore the family ties that had been beyond broken. But that’s another story for perhaps another day. The bottom line is whether you have lost trust because of events in your life or you never really trusted anyone or anything before, I can attest to the absolute truth that God is trustworthy. When your whole world seems to crumble in a matter of hours, God is still there, waiting with open arms to hold you up.