Stunted Shrubs & Thriving Trees

Last week, I was reading in Jeremiah when I came across a passage (17:5-8) that grabbed my attention. God is speaking through Jeremiah and He describes two types of people. The first "are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future" while the second "are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water...not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." I don't know about you, but it sure doesn't take me a whole lot of thought to figure out which one of those people I want to be like. I mean, it's not like there's much to choose between. Stunted shrub or thriving tree? If you ask me, it's pretty obvious.

What really gets me though isn't just the stark difference between these two types of people, but more so what causes them to be different in the first place. The first group God describes are "those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord." The second group are "those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." In other words, just one factor - whether we trust God or not - makes a difference between being stunted or growing, between being thirsty or well-fed, between being wilted or green, between being fruitless or fruitful, between dying and living. Sounds like trust is a pretty important factor!

So often we (Christians) put a lot of effort into our relationship with Jesus (and rightly so!), but after reading this verse, I question how much of that effort turns out to be missing a key ingredient. Are we reading the Bible without applying what it says to our lives? Are we pleading with God to move mountains in our lives but ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Are we going to church week after week but staying at arm's distance so others can't call out the junk in our lives?

Trust is not something we possess, but rather something we do. In other words, trust and obedience go hand-in-hand. If we truly trust God, we will give Him more than enough room to speak in our lives. We will not seek Him out of obligation but instead out of a sincere desire to know and understand Him. We will immerse ourselves in godly community out of a desire to live life God's way. Why does this matter? Because trusting God truly is the difference between death and life. The ares of our lives that are stunted, wilted, fruitless, and dying are very likely the areas in which we don't trust God.

So what do we do? Personally, I'm taking time this week  to examine my life for areas that are stunted and lifeless so that I can submit these areas to God and listen for His wisdom and direction. I challenge you to do the same. I believe that as we obey Him, these areas will start to bloom with life again. Let's not settle for some death in our lives when God provides abundant life in every area of our lives.