Be Trustful
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.
Don’t you just love roadworks!? Recently, I was driving along the M42 to Wales and was thrilled to find the ENTIRE stretch under a 50mph speed limit. Now you may detect a hint of sarcasm here - and you’d be right. I spent that whole portion of my journey scanning the horizon, impatiently anticipating the beautiful black striped circle of liberation (the national speed limit sign) to rise over the next hill like a sunrise of automotive freedom. Finally, after miles of my attention jumping between my speedometer and the road ahead, the limit changed, and I eased back to 70mph.
It dawned on me soon after how foolish I’d been. I’d spent maybe 20 minutes in impatience and discontent over something I couldn’t change, and which had minimal impact on my overall journey time. I could just as easily have spent that time, after acknowledging my desire to go faster, accepting my present circumstances and my lack of power to change them and instead look for what I could enjoy and be grateful for, in faith that the speed limit would probably eventually change. After all, 50mph is a lot better than 0mph.
Now, please forgive me for this extended metaphor: much of life is far harsher than inconvenient roadworks. But there is a lesson here. Our hopes and fears for the future can often steal the present from us, but as Jeremiah writes, even when our current circumstances aren’t what we want - when we’re hoping for more (or fearing worse) - we will still bear fruit if we put our trust in the Lord. By learning to wait well, practising trust and patience, we stay rooted in the present and open to the gifts each moment brings, even at life’s slower speeds.
Prayer - Father, teach me to put my trust in you and surrender my hopes and fears of the future over to you.