Fruitfulness and Trust
We woke up with snow on the ground, but a day that ended up better than the past several days. We took my mom to the “Traditions Service” at Timberline Church. Christian and Bridget and kids came for lunch and visit at midday and we had a good time together. They helped with moving a desk and book shelf from downstairs for our upstairs office. In the midst of our work, we found some old videos from Christian’s high school graduation, so we spent some time reminiscing about days gone by.
It ended up being a special day with my mom, Debbie and Bridget all together. So our grand-kids were able to have mom, grandmother and great-grandmother together for a Mother’s Day celebration. 
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “But I will bless the person who puts his trust in me. He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green; it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8
As I read these verses the imagery of fruitfulness in spite of adversity caught my attention. So often, trusting in the Lord is viewed as hanging on for all we are worth, while we are waiting for a change in our circumstances. But in these verses we see that trust is the path to fruitfulness, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances.
When I picture this in my mind, I think of the solitary pine in the Colorado Rockies that somehow is growing from a barren rock. I think of the well known “Lone Cyprus” along Monterrey Peninsula in California. Jeremiah says, the person who trusts in the Lord is not afraid of the hot weather and dry times. The leaves will stay green and it will continue to bear fruit.
These verses are set in contrast to those who turn from the Lord and trust only in themselves. The Lord says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals.…Nothing good ever happens to him.” Jeremiah 17:5,6
As we look at this contrast in Jeremiah 17 between trusting in human strength verse trusting and following the Lord’s ways, it is reminiscent of Psalm 1, where the Psalmist says of those who commit to following the Lord, “…they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.” Psalm 1:2,3
Remember that “trust” is the preferred choice for Christ followers and the path that should describe our spiritual lives on a daily basis. So often when the road gets rough someone might say, “well…I guess I’ll just have to trust the Lord!” That often sounds like, “I would rather not, but I guess I will.” When we live our lives daily, consistently as one who trusts the Lord in good times and in bad; in sunshine and storm; we will continue to enjoy a life of vitality and fruitfulness regardless of the circumstances, trials and obstacles we face.