Issue 16 - October 2005
Who Do You Trust?
Michael A. Verdicchio

There is a wonderful section of Scripture in Jeremiah 17 that paints quite a picture.

Jeremiah 17:5-8:
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
The contrast in these verses is very stark!
  • blessed or cursed
  • trusting in man or trusting in the Lord
  • a heath in the desert or a tree planted by the waters
  • inhabiting the parched places or spreading out roots by the river
  • not seeing when good comes versus not seeing when the heat comes

Notice that in the year of drought, the tree planted by the waters shall not cease from yielding fruit! To have that kind of abundance in a time of drought is pretty amazing.

Verse 5 talks about the person who is "cursed". When someone is blessed, they receive blessings, which are good things - the things we need and desire in our lives. To be cursed is just the opposite. We do not receive those good things, but rather things which bring hardship. That's being cursed.

The point is we have a choice! It is not predetermined who gets the blessings from God and who doesn't! The choice is up to each person.

There are three things in verse 5 that prevent a person from receiving blessings from God: trusting in man, making "flesh" his arm (which is to rely on the 5 senses for your strength), and a heart that departs from the Lord. The heart is the part of the mind where our belief systems are. These three things are a clear indication that there is no reliance or trust in God or His Word. And the result of that is being cursed.

On the other hand, the one who trusts in the Lord and has hope in the Lord will be blessed. The word "hope" could be translated assurance or confidence. The words "trust" and "hope" are similar in meaning.

So just how are we to have trust and confidence in the Lord? Do you completely trust a total stranger, someone you don't know? Well, if we are going to learn to trust God, and have confidence in God, then we've got to get to know Him. We need to spend some time with Him. We need to hear what He has to say. Open the Bible and start reading!

The more you read the Word of God the more you learn about God. You begin to see God's goodness. You begin to see God's willingness to forgive. You see God's power. You see God's deliverance. You see the many promises He has made. You see how He has helped people time, and time, and time again.

Seeing Who God is, what He has done, and what He promises He will do for you builds your trust and confidence in God. With trust and confidence, you can then go to God and ask Him for the help you need. Being confident of His willingness and His ability, you can absolutely expect to receive from Him.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Thank you for visiting us on the web at http://www.christian-inspirational-gifts.com