Inside Out

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)

‘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.’

I spent many Sunday mornings memorising Bible verses as a kid. Not because I was a saint but more because I wanted to win those Sunday school snacks. One that stuck out to me was Jeremiah 17:7-8. My mum would make me and my sister repeat this daily and though we did not have a clue what we were declaring at the time, there is so much packed within its imagery.

The tree planted by the water represents proximity to the source. It is a constant regard to what the word of God is saying because there is a certainty that everything spoken within it is true. (May it consume us!) I love that the tree is not just planted by the water but sends out its roots to the water. This tells us that we do not take full advantage of this source until our lives are completely dependent on it. The imagery of roots to me emphasises a hidden connection - the secret place. It is a disregard for external appearance and an understanding that fruit is produced from the inside out.

This scripture gives hope for when external circumstances change (which recently has been more often than not). I love that we serve a God of juxtaposition, the God who is side-by- side with us. The tree by the water in a year of drought ‘never fails to bear fruit.’ This is a reminder that though with our natural eyes we may see one thing, confidence in God’s word creates stability and an awareness that he is more than capable of overturning and overcoming that which we see.

Prayer – Lord, help me to be a person that puts my trust and confidence in your word, that I would become completely dependent on you and it would show.