With all the hullabaloo about the debt ceiling and the bad economy, it’s easy to worry. I have friends who have been out of work for a long time. I could worry that retirement is approaching and our investments are losing value or that Social Security won’t be there when we need it. But relying on the government to create jobs or do other things to fix the economy is foolish. Instead, I should rely on God, who is the one who is actually in control.
This passage uses two kinds of plants to illustrate the difference between relying on humans and trusting God. One is a stunted shrub in the desert and the other is a tree with deep roots.
When I was in California recently, I saw both kinds. We stayed at a ranch in San Diego county. That whole area is semi-arid and you have to water if you want green things growing in your yard. The ranch has a little creek that dries up in the summer when there is almost no rain. When we looked out at the hills, we saw a lot of dried up shrubs that had grown up in the winter and now had no water. But all along the creek there were big trees growing. They were green and healthy, even though there wasn’t any water in the creek. They had roots deep enough to reach the water table below the creek.
If I rely on humans to provide my needs, like bosses and government programs, I’ll be like that dried up shrub. I won’t be getting the water I need because I’ve turned away from God.
But if I trust in God and make Him my hope and confidence, I’ll be blessed. I’ll be like the trees planted by the creek with green leaves and constant fruit. I’ll have deep roots that reach down into the Living Water.
The key to being blessed is to trust God.
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