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!
Prayers for Anxiety
The feeling of anxiety might be one of the most common human experiences. Every person, at some level, has felt anxious or worried. While it is a common human experience, that doesn’t mean that it’s the ideal human experience that God wants for us.
Anxiety can often occur in moments when we feel like we’re losing control of a situation, or maybe even when we feel helpless. We can feel anxious when we’re uncomfortable or nervous.
In each of these scenarios, God wants to provide an answer and a help for when we’re struggling. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul encourages the church community there to bring all of their worries and anxiety to God through prayer.
While we sometimes think we can fix our problems, we’re actually inadequate at it. God is the only one who truly knows exactly what we need.
In Scripture, God is called our Provider, our Healer, and our Sustainer. He is ready and willing to help us when we’re in need. Because of that, we have so much ...