Trust The Lord Above All

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

                                                                           (Jer 17:5-8 KJV)

A confession for this morning:  As I child I trusted just about everyone. As a young adult, who got burned many times by others, I began to trust no one. But, as I grew to know the Lord I began, once again, to trust others. I could trust others not because humankind is so trustworthy or good; but, because God is. Too often human beings will take the road that they think will benefit them no matter how much it might damage others. But, the Lord does not. He who loves us and cares for us was willing to die that we might be forgiven for the very sins that we commit against our neighbors out of selfishness and greed. 

I trust the Lord to take care of things that I cannot control and the things that others would take control of to the detriment of not just myself but humankind as a whole. I have been able to regain trust  in others because above all my faith, my love, my trust is in the Lord. While others would lead us to useless salt lands the Lord will make us to lie down in green pastures and lead us beside still waters. (Psalm 23)

I have learned the lesson, though, that when others willfully go against God's good will for others it is not the time to sit back and allow them to have any type of authority over myself or anyone else. There are times that we must stand up for what is good and right even if it requires a sacrifice on our part. God; after all, often does work through his people. 

We can live and work and even play with others because before them all we trust the Lord who loves us and gave himself for us.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord "for he is good and his mercy endureth forever!" (Psalm 136)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Yielding Fruit?

Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

At the least change or disruption to life there are those who cause so much drama one would think the world was ending. These ones not only do not bear good fruit; but, often cause more disruption. They are like grass blowing in the wind; mowed over at the landowners earliest convenience. Afraid that their personal sovereignty will end with change, they will fight it tooth and nail, interfering with growth; interfering with the bearing of much fruit.

But, the one who loves the Lord and considers the way He would have us go is like the tree that is firmly planted in soil beside streams of water. On the riverbanks of my home in Aura and on the canal where I now live in Flagler Beach, many of the trees have been blown about by the winds. They are old and have been bent down by the winds of time. They have changed immensely since they were seedlings. Yet, they continue to grow with their roots planted firmly within the soil. The winds nor the waves have been able to take them down.

Change does not necessarily mean death. It often means new life. Even as the trees change with the season, so do all living things. When winter comes, the trees often look like they are dying or even dead. But, then comes spring and new life begins to bear another season of fruit.

The one who drinks of the water of life will live and yield much fruit. Such is the person who delights in the law of the Lord. They change and adapt to the various seasons. They bend from time to time. But, they will not break.

May you drink abundantly of the streams of living water provided by Jesus Christ, our Lord that you might follow wherever he would lead bearing much fruit.

God's Peace - Pr. J