“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord." Jeremiah 17:7
Amidst warning of impending consequences for Judah's sins, God gives instruction and hope. Being disciplined does not mean that God has turned His back. In and through the distress, the Father longs for His children to trust in Him, to cling to Him. Trusting in anything but God will only bring greater anguish.
LESSONS
Such a lesson is this for parenthood. To remember, when disciplining children and feeling exasperation, that the desire of God is for that child to be turned to Him in and through the discipline. How hard this is.
And for Christian growth. To remember, when experiencing discipline, that those "who live by faith in His providence and promise, who refer themselves
to Him and His guidance at all times and repose themselves in Him and His love in the most unquiet times" will experience "abundant satisfaction" (Henry).
ADMINISTRATIONS
Then comes a description of what happens, not a checklist of what must be done next by the truster.
"He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes" Jeremiah 17:8a
God is the ultimate trustee of good (James 1:17)! He wisely and perfectly distributes to us security, sustenance, and courage. When it seems like this is not true, there is a reminder to rest in the fact that God knows and sees a much bigger picture. Trust in the Lord. For He would "make [those who trust] the ornament and delight of the places where they live, as green trees are" (Henry).
PROVISIONS
Drought, distress will come. It is not in a greenhouse that we find the tree, but in the elements exposed to its surroundings. The tree endures what would destroy others not because it is a special tree but because it has a special source of life.
"For its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8b
Psalm 1 is called into reference in the language of these verses. Jeremiah is drawing a parallel between "trusting in the Lord [and] delighting in His word" (Guzik). Thus, we discover the source of the stream. It is by the flow of God's word into the roots that God enables the tree "to do that which will redound to the glory of God" in all circumstances (Henry).
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Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Jeremiah 17." Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar, 1996. Web. 26 Jul, 2019. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jer/Jer_017.cfm>.
Guzik, David. "Study Guide for Jeremiah 17." Blue Letter Bible. 21 Feb, 2017. Web. 26 Jul, 2019. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Jer/Jer-17.cfm>.