Daily Devotional – Saturday, February 5, 2022
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.
Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)
A family was hiking in a hilly area. After some hours of strenuous activity, it was time for lunch. The shade under a huge rock offered the best spot for a meal. As the parents unpacked the food, their two boys continued playing.
Suddenly, a voice called from the top seven-foot cliff. “Daddy, I’m jumping!” There was no time to think or plan. The little boy was already in the air. The father stretched out his hands and caught the boy before the little one could hit the ground.
Blessed is the Man Who Trusts in the LORD
“Why did you jump?” The angry mother asked the boy after the panic had subsided. “I knew dad would catch me,” he answered, without hesitation. Daddy then remembered he had taught his boys to trust him fully.
The boy’s demonstration of complete trust in the father mirrors the kind of trust God wants us to build in Him. Through Prophet Jeremiah, God declares, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:7).
How We Fail the Trust Test
There are many times I have failed the trust tests. I have initiated projects and embarked on journeys without consulting God. Sometimes, I feel God is taking too long to act on my requests and I look for shortcuts. The result? Utter failure.
Many are the times that God has had to remind me to act like the little boy and jump into uncharted territory. Whenever I let go and let God do His will with me, I experience immense peace and fulfilment.
A Tree Planted By the Waters
Jeremiah 17:8 beautifully describes the blessed life of the person who trusts in God:
“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Trusting in God is a Learning Process
From experience, I know trusting in God is a learning process. When I suffer for not trusting God, I exercise faith in Him next time. When I win battles by God’s grace, my trust in Him grows. When my trust in God grows, my blessings follow suit.
In which areas of your life is God asking you to take a leap of faith and trust Him? Will you trust Him fully like the little boy did with His father? Do you want to be like the fruitful tree that grows along and is nourished by the river?
Almighty God, I know I sometimes fail Your trust test. Please strengthen me in the inner man and teach me to trust You fully.
