Blessed in Trust
Jeremiah 17 begins with a rebuke. God is calling out the Israelites for their idolatry, for trusting in other gods and forsaking Him and His teachings. Like a parent with a child who's made a terrible choice, God makes it very clear that these choices have led and will lead to consequences. And yet, rather than only focusing on all that's been lost and will be lost because of Israel’s terrible choices, Jeremiah takes a moment to bring a refreshing reminder:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”
Jeremiah 17:7 NIV
He calls those who trust Him “blessed,” even as chaos, sin, and idolatry reign around them. He says that people who trust in God “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.” (Jeremiah 17:8 NIV)
We get to choose who and what we worship. Who is your confidence in? Who do you trust? If it is the Lord, take heart knowing that in this you are blessed. An abundant life in God, full of fruit even when sin is all around, is the mark of having chosen to trust Him. What an incredible thing it is to be able to make this choice!
The Greatest Treasure
Matthew 13:44 contains some of the most impactful imagery in all of Scripture...
Just imagine for a moment: You are walking across a field and stumble upon an ancient treasure, forgotten by the whole world. You realize the plot of land is for sale. What would you do? How quickly would you sell everything you have to buy the field with the treasure? Fast? Of course! You’ve found something of great value, worth so much more than anything you had before!
Jesus uses this imagery to illustrate the Kingdom of heaven. When you discover the true value of something like that, you give all you have to grab hold of it, to be part of it, to have it for yourself.
And what is the Kingdom of heaven?
The Kingdom of heaven is God’s will on earth. It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that we can be set free from sin and walk in His mercy and grace. The Kingdom of heaven is right now, and it's an invitation to you.
Have you discovered it? The joy, energy, excitement of ...