Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. (Jeremiah 17:7)
The first part I get: we should trust in the LORD. Amen.
The second part? Our trust should BE the LORD? Isn’t that unusual phraseology?
Let’s start with the phrase, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.” What does this mean? It means that when we come to a decision, it will be better for us if we make our decision in faith. That is, first of all, we remember the LORD in prayer. Second, we think about the LORD’s faithfulness—God’s proven track record. Third, we select the “fork” that most seems to be the kind of thing God would want done—either because He has said as much in Scripture, or because it seems to accord with His character and be a loving thing to do.
So then, the second phrase must be a development of the first. “Blessed is the man...whose trust IS the LORD.” Here are a few ways to understand this phrase.
First, it could mean that when we come to a difficult decision, or are called upon to respond in a difficult situation, that we trust our God’s character most of all. That is, we look not just to what He has done but we look to Him, who He is. We trust Him. We trust God, not just “in God.” Trusting “in God” can sometimes means, “I trust the kind of stuff God does.” That's not wrong. But this is a little different: “I trust the kind of person God is.”
King David “strengthened himself in the LORD.” (1 Samuel 30:6; see also Psalm 144) He thought of stories of God and things God had done. That’s good. The Psalmist in Psalm 130 says, “I cry to you, O LORD! …I wait for the LORD.” (Ps 130:1, 5) The Psalmist here looks to God Himself—God as a person.
This is good to do, and ought to under gird our faith: not just that God “delivers the goods.” Because sometimes “the goods” seem to get lost in the mail (so to speak). But even when the good things we pray for seem to be delayed or even unsent, do we know that God is good? When we don’t get “the goods,” are we content with the good-God? Is our trust, the LORD Himself?
What else could this phrase—“whose trust IS the LORD”—mean? Sometimes we come to a difficult decision, a difficult situation, and we don’t have a clue. What do you do then? You’re not putting anything specific “in” the LORD’s hands. There's no clear “this” that faith is leading you to. In fact, you’ve got more than one good (or bad) option. You feel like you can’t make a good decision, and that making any decision may be worse than not making one at all. Or that could be worse! What do you do then?
You make your choice. You probably slap on some justifications and rationalizations. But you know you might be wrong. You wait for bad things to happen.
What’s our confidence based in? Our ability to make good decisions? Our ability to rationalize? Our ability to answer our need for certainty with a plausibility-chain validated by Bible verses?
Or is our confidence the LORD?
(Note: The ALL-CAPS “LORD” in Scripture means that the Hebrew-word behind it is “YAHWEH.” That is, The God-Who-Is: “I Am-I Am, that is My Name.” [Exod 3:14])
Our trust is He-Who-Is. Over, under, before, beneath, after and beyond our acts, non-acts, words, silences, folly, wisdom, hopes and fears, God is at work. Working behind and before, here and now, there and then, and so on: He is Our God. Our trust is Him.
We want to follow His Word. Good. We want to follow His character. Good. But sometimes we’re floating, not following. Okay. When we find ourselves floating, we want to float… in Him. And we do.
You trust in the Lord. Your trust, your confidence, your hope, your faith, IS the LORD.
Trust in the LORD. Rest in the LORD. Rest... because, The LORD.
Take care of your walk with the LORD.
Read your Bible. Pray—go into a Psalm and find something to praise God about. Memorize a few verses and use them to pray (I find it easier to build my prayers from the Light of God’s Word rather than from the darkness of my anxieties.) Pray for your concerns.
Don’t just binge-watch or read emptiness. Here are a few resources that you may find encouraging and helpful.
Read: Our current book club selections: Draw Near, Hospitality (and Jayber). 15 Favorite Chapters (book length best-of collection from a trustworthy Christian bookstore)
Watch: RightNow Media (tons of Bible studies, etc. brought to FBC by our friends at East Troy Bible Church. You will be getting a link to access this content in the next day or two.)
Also, you’re not just a spirit-being. Get fresh air and exercise. Eat well. Sleep. If you’re prone to bad habits in these areas, use this time to build good habits. God made us creatures, and we honor Him in part by honoring our creaturely-ness. (Related: Gospel Coalition C19 resources)
Stay connected to Fellowship Bible Church.
Please read our email communications. Please participate in the services and programming we put together. In a challenging time, we need friends and good words more than ever.
Pray for each other. I like to look at the directory and read each person’s name and start saying, “God, I want [eg. them to get healthy or grow…] [or, eg. their prayer answered…]”
Take care of one another.
We don’t know how long this challenge is going to last. But listen to this: one of the key goals the elders have been praying over is how to help our church get more connected to each other. Here’s a great opportunity! What if each of us reaches out to one other person, either with a simple phone call or even a hike or a visit, once a week? Then however many weeks this lasts, our connectedness is exponentially thicker and stronger.
Ask each other, “How is C19 affecting you? What would you like me to pray about? What are your worries?” And then take a moment, in person or on the phone, and pray for each other.
“You are a Gift!” God has gifted and the Spirit has filled every single one of you. Now’s a great time to prayerfully engage that gift for each other’s good.
Look out for opportunities to share our Hope.
People are afraid. People are sad. Like they don’t have any hope. You know who has hope? WE DO. And not in a vaccine or a stock market turnaround or a government bailout. We have a hope that does not disappoint. Because we know the love of God in Christ and we know the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:5)
What if we each did what I previously suggested we do for each other (1x/week) with one of our neighbors, coworkers, or someone we meet? Ask them how they’re doing, what their worries are. Begin a relationship. Begin to shine. (Also: Love Your (self-isolated) Neighbor)
These are a few areas for growing that I hope you will prayerfully consider.
We’re in this together. We’re not at all alone. The Three Persons of God are with us all, and we are with us too. “He will revive us… let us press on to know the LORD.” Someday this will be over, and we will be glad we “pressed on” together.
Photo by Tom Barret on Unsplash
