Jeremiah 17:7
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”
Several years ago, I lived in the mountainous region of Colorado for a few months. In that area was a river that was very refreshing to go to. Beside that river were trees that were green and obviously very healthy because of their close proximity water. That water allowed the roots to dig deep into the ground which kept the trees healthy.
If you took any one of those trees by the river and planted it out in the California desert, you would see a healthy tree eventually dry up and die. The reason being is because that tree needs water to live. That tree needs water to allow its roots to dig deeply into the earth. The difference in the livelihood of a tree is where it’s planted.
The same can be said about how strong a Christian will be. The strength of a Christian is all determined by where they are planted. The verse above says that the man who puts their trust in the LORD will be blessed. The following verse says that the man who puts his trust in the LORD will be like 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.” In other words, the Christian who plants themselves in the LORD will always be able to withstand the different adversities of life.
I’m always amazed at how two people can go through the same heartache and one comes out bitter while the other comes out stronger. The difference is determined by where they are planted. The one who plants themselves in the LORD will be the one who comes out strong because their roots dig deeply into the soil of God’s Word which gives them the spiritual nourishment they need for the difficulties of life.
How you face the adversities of your life will be determined by where you plant yourself. You can plant your trust in money, but money will not give you the foundation you need to make it through the adversities of life. You can plant your trust in a man, but man cannot give you the strength to make it through the adversities you will face in life. You can plant yourself in worldly pleasures, but those worldly pleasures will not get you through the heartaches that life brings. It all comes down to where you are planted.
Christian, it is time to take your eyes off everything and everyone else and plant your trust in the LORD. It is only the LORD Who can help you when you face the heat of adversity. It is only the LORD Who can give you water in the drought of adversity. It is only the LORD Who will keep you bearing fruit when others are dying. It is the LORD Who will spread your roots in life and give you the stability to face any adversity in life.
Let me ask you, in whom or what are you planting your trust? If you want to live a blessed life, then plant your trust in the LORD. You certainly have the choice to plant yourself in man or worldly pleasures, but that is like being planted in a barren desert. The other and best choice is to plant yourself in the LORD, for when you are planted in Him you will find the strength you need to face any adversity that comes your way.