Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, 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.”
“It has no worries in a year of drought…” I would call 2020 a year of drought. Wouldn’t you? Drought does not just mean a lack or absence of rainfall. I looked it up and one definition of drought is “a prolonged absence of a specified thing.”
So far in 2020 we have had a prolonged absence of employment, personal contact with others, and in-person worship. For a while there was a drought of toilet paper, cleaning supplies and meat. I am sure everyone reading this devotion can add something to the list. But the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17 and Psalm 1 (they are remarkably similar verses) that if we put our trust (our confidence) in the Lord, we will not fear when the heat comes. Not only will we not fear but we will continue to bear fruit.
In times of trouble, those who do not trust in the Lord will be spiritually weak so they will have no strength to draw on. But those who trust in the Lord will have abundant strength not only for themselves but for others too. So, which one are you? Are you diving into the word of God so that your roots are firmly planted near the stream of life? Are your leaves always green so the weak can rest in your shade? Are you bearing fruit by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them? Remember, those who do not know the Lord will see something different in you. They will see the love of Jesus pouring out of you. Then when they ask you about it (and they will) you can tell them all about how Jesus came to earth and died for them so that they can be reconciled with God.
Dear Lord, I trust in you and you give me strength. Please open my eyes to the people in my life that need to hear about you. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit so that your words come out of my mouth, not my own. Amen