Trees

I have learned a few things in the years of living in Oklahoma. I grew up in TN, so trees were everywhere. When we arrived in Oklahoma 13 years ago, I noticed a distinct lack of trees. As I learned more about Oklahoma, the heat and droughts come often. The grass burns and trees wither. Yet, there is a place where trees do not wither: river and creek banks. Here, we find long curving lines of trees that live. Actually, they thrive. Not only do they thrive, but everything around that tree thrives because of the food, shelter, and relief it brings to all who come near.

The Bible tells us that those who trust in the Lord and have made Him their hope and confidence are like those trees.

7 "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

I want to be around that kind of person. Those whose trust is in the Lord have reconciled their life, actions, and eternity with the life, actions, and love Jesus Christ. He has become their hope. I need hope these days, don’t you? With the increasing financial concerns in our families and in our churches, hope is a high commodity. Jeremiah told the people they would be blessed if the Lord was there hope. This hope is precipitated by our trust in the life and activity of Jesus Christ. Our trust, or belief, brings hope. Those who have this trust and hope are fun to be around because they have joy. Just being around them lightens your load. The way they trust. The hope that oozes out of their attitude, tone, and posture can cause you to forget about the trouble briefly. He has become their confidence. Trusting in God allows us to walk tall in the face of discouragement, stand strong in the face of fear and the enemy. These people have trouble. These people have difficulty. However, their trust is not in themselves or anyone else. Their trust is in the Lord. Those who are around that kind of person thrive because of what they provide. They are like trees that are not bothered by the heat of the moment or long months of difficult circumstances. They provide the food, shelter, and relief others need.

I want to be that kind of person who, because of being close to Jesus, becomes help and hope for my family, friends, and future. Don’t you? I must place my trust in the Lord. Whether in good or bad I must trust in the Lord. With my past sin, my present situation, and future sentence I trust in the Lord and not myself. In Shade for the Children, Steve Camp writes,

“Shade for the children, a shelter from the storm. To be a place where they can grow. In the ways of the Lord. To train up my child, to live a pure and godly life. Through the struggles and fears, Dreams and tears of every day, to be shade for the children.”

I watch our people as they come in and out of church with emptiness in their souls. How many people do we interact with everyday who simply need a little spiritual fruit, shelter from their storm, and relief from their journey?

May we trust in the Lord making Him our hope and confidence so that those around us may benefit.

Oh God, may my trust be in You today. Bless me with hope and confidence. I want to be like a tree planted by a river. Make me that tree today. Let me feed the hungry soul, protect others from the brutal winds of life, and relieve them from life’s burdens. Amen.