Blessed are those who trust in the Lord

“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.”  (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

As I was reflecting upon the above portion of the reading, I kept thinking about how crazy it is that this is the reality for those who are saved. Because of God's grace and unconditional love, we are the trees that are planted by the stream. The reality is that I have nothing to fear when heat comes; my worry is without any foundation. We are blessed when we trust in the Lord, when our confidence is in Him, because it is in those moments that our hearts are calibrated to the reality of His steadfast faithfulness and our salvation. We do not need to worry in years of drought, because His streams of grace and love are unconditional and always present.

Lord, as we prepare and go on these missions trips, please calibrate our hearts to the reality of who You are. As we get a better grip on this reality, may we place our trust and faith in You, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings.

Sidenote - verse 9 was super humbling:

The heart is deceitful above all things 
and beyond cure. 
Who can understand it?