Jeremiah 17:7-8 “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.”
Jeremiah 17 focuses on the sin of Judah and provides sayings on the issues of life, sin, and the way of curse and blessing. The picture of someone planted by the water must be the same description of a follower of Christ. It is a beautiful picture of someone rooted and in love with God. Verse 8 describes the result of being planted by the water. When your roots are sent out by the stream, you do not fear the heat when it comes. Your leaves will remain green, and you will not be anxious in the year of drought because you do not cease to bear fruit. In other words, all the seasons of life will hit you. It is sure. Seasons of plenty, seasons of storms, seasons of pain and suffering, seasons of sickness, and everything else life can throw at you. But the one who is planted by the water will continue to remain fruitful and without anxiety. Amen!
So how can you be like this fruitful tree by the water? Jeremiah 17:7 states it is by “trusting in the LORD”. In fact, it is repeated twice in this verse, increasing its importance. Notice it does not say that you will only receive blessings when you trust in the LORD, and you will not face any struggles or troubles. Instead, you are sure to face them, but you will not be moved when it hit’s you. The opposite of trusting in the LORD is to trust in man or yourself. It is a curse to trust in man and to make flesh your strength (Jer 17:5). If you put your trust in man, the picture given is the opposite of one planted by the water. Instead, this person will be like a shrub in the desert and will not see any good come, living in parched places of the wilderness and an uninhabited salt land (Jer 17:6). In other words, nothing good will come out of it. For a time, you may be green, but it will not produce valuable fruits. When struggles come, they will burn you and dry you up without any nourishment or hope. It is a dismal picture.
Don’t put your trust in the wisdom, power, kindness, or faithfulness of man. When you depend on man, spiritual life cannot thrive. You will stunt your growth, and you will never be able to thrive. Trusting in God means to trust in His word. Psalm 9:10 says, “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” You can only trust Him if you know Him. To know Him, you need to spend time in the Bible and seek Him with all your heart. He must become the treasure of your life. Because then you can trust Him, and He will never forsake those who do so.
Again, this whole scenario is beautifully captured in Psalm 1:1-4. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.“ The man who delights in the law of the LORD (in other words, scriptures) and He who meditates on this law day and night is blessed. The blessing is described in Psalm 1:3, saying, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” But the one who does not delight in His word is described as the wicked, and Psalm 1:4 says, “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.”
So, In conclusion, examine your heart. Jeremiah 1:9-10 says, “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.” So, do not be a Christian who by their mouth declares their trust in God, but their confidence is in man’s wisdom and strength. Instead, your heart must desire Christ, delighting in the word of God, meditating on it day and night. As you do so, you will know the name of God and, by faith, trust Him. Then you will be like a tree planted by the water. Strong, fruitful, and continually growing in the LORD, regardless of the season or the storms. Otherwise, you will be like the chaff the wind drives away.
