When we look to the world and the circumstances around us, we can easily get discouraged and frustrated. It may seem like we are alone in trusting God, and it’s quite ludicrous to do so. I also get discouraged in trying find something to do to change the circumstances, as I feel that’s often quite limited and unproductive. When we feel stuck or as if everything is going wrong, our initial response is often to run away, or to try to change the circumstance.
I like Jeremiah’s metaphor when he is told by God that those who trust in Him alone are like a tree planted by the river, with roots that go so deep into water that it doesn’t fear drought or heat. It has no anxieties. Well, a tree can’t get up and move, so that isn’t necessarily what it means to find happiness in trusting God. Instead, a tree’s roots go deep into the sustenance and water it needs to continue to make leaves and fruit.
Deep roots which grow into a River of Life—that’s what I need to get through the hardships of life. When I see a problem and turn away to Jesus, I acknowledge that He alone is trustworthy. Not my strength (or lack thereof), not my brains, not my friendships. In trusting Him to continue to get me through, I also remember that He often does these things in the face of seeming impossibility. What He calls me to sit in might seem so overwhelming. But with deep roots growing into a constantly flowing River of Life, I have what I need for the day.
A tree needs to continue to access the water, and it is dependent on its contact with the water which meets its needs. We are the same—continuing to trust our Living Water and recognizing our dependence on contact with Jesus who meets our needs each day. This isn’t a one-time fix that allows us to coast forever. We need relationship with a God we trust in order to continue on.
How do we trust God? We expect Him to show up, even when everything around us is telling us He won’t. We look to Him for answers instead of ourselves or others. We focus on His voice rather than the waves that are pounding around us. This isn’t perfect, but rather the desperation of trust allows us to see God’s faithfulness over and over. When we recognize and agree that He is faithful, the expectation for His work grows, in spite of the circumstances.
Just like a branch on the Vine, a healthy tree bears fruit and has healthy leaves. Fruit is only a result of the nutrients the tree can drawn in through its roots. Without this sustenance, fruit and health are not a possibility. In the same way, we must find our Source in Jesus and fruit will be a natural outflow of that connection. Fruit is not a result of trying harder, but of accessing the nutrients found in the Life of Christ within us.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking for a drought or scorching heat to come. I’d rather have plenty and tolerable temperatures. But the tree in Jeremiah is said to be fine through these unpleasant times. Even if the future looks a little bleak right now, or the present is uncomfortable, we can push our roots deep into trusting God and He will maintain fruit even in times in which it seems impossible to bear fruit. God isn’t limited to the current circumstance but allows us to continue to flourish even in times of trial and hardship.
I will bless with happiness the one who trusts in me, the one who trusts in me alone. He is like a tree planted on the riverbank, extending its roots into streams of water. It does not fear when scorching heat comes, for its leaves remain fresh and never fading even in a year of drought. It has no anxieties but continues to bear luscious fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8