“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
Jeremiah 17:7-8
whose confidence is in him.
They 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.”
Scripture Notes
It is difficult not to place our full trust in people, whether they are parents, pastors, philanthropists, or politicians. Our society constantly bombards us with messages designed to encourage us to trust this company, that person, or this policy. Ultimately, relying on man is a curse. A curse akin to a shrub in the desert that lacks nutrients, struggles through torment, and the fruit it produces is hollow and dry. This serves as a warning: trusting in flesh and blood has its limits. Empires, nations, and men rise and fall. Only God remains, and He is whom we should be trusting. This is where faith comes in. Although we trust in what is unseen, it does not mean we act in vain.
Does it not seem that when surrounded by negativity and chaos, our lives tend to fall into struggle and disorder? If we trust in man, we lead ourselves into the desert, where scarcity and extremes emerge. This happens when we leave the body of the church, forsake trusting in God for man, and value prosperity from the Bible rather than conviction and truth.
Those who trust in the Lord, whether in good or bad times, are compared to a tree planted by water, receiving steady nourishment. Even if winds blow or the sun beats down, the tree remains alive, and all of this happens beneath the surface. We don’t see the roots drinking in clear, delicious water, but we notice the branches, unfurling leaves, and abundant fruit as signs of life. Yet, many believers misunderstand this message as being about material possessions. They see someone with a good job, a fancy house, expensive clothes, or other symbols of wealth. We cling to the false idea that if we are good, God will reward us on earth, despite knowing the stories of Job, Elisha, Paul, and others. Many who trusted in the Lord did not attain great wealth; they gained something greater.
Many people also see trusting the Lord as a safety net, a way to avoid harm. However, with our eyes open to the truth, we sometimes face even more struggles than non-believers. We can have confidence in God not because He will remove all our problems, but because He is with us when those trials come our way. We are never alone, and God will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6).
The irony of our physical life is that it is paradoxical compared to the spiritual life God has intended for us. Jesus said, “The first will be last and the last shall be first” (Matt. 20:16), while our society often claims that being first is always best. We are shown that money, power, and beauty should be our greatest aims, but Christ talks about faith, hope, and love (1Cor. 13:13); humility, kindness, and self-control. When we face trials, we need to turn back to the source of life. Jesus said that anyone who drinks living water will never thirst again (John 4:13).
Our trust and confidence should be in Christ, and we should never turn our back on Him. He is the sustainer of the soul; He guides, comforts, and sacrifices Himself for us. He is the river of life, not just temporarily but forever. Although there are things at work that we cannot see or always understand, we should place our hope in our Creator, the One who knows all, sees all, and understands all.
MEMORY VERse
Alexandre Calame. The Alps, from Various Landscape Sites, 1851. The Art Institute of Chicago
Related Verses
More verses about reliance on the Lord:
Prayer Invitation
Application Questions
- How can believers, even in difficult circumstances, still be fruitful?
- How might you practically shift your trust from human beings to God?
- Can you identify areas in your life where you rely more on yourself or others than on God?
Cover Image: Jan van de Cappelle. A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water, 1660. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
MANÁ 
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