the greenest grass around

We hear all the time to trust God- trust His plans- trust His timing- just trust Him.

I don’t know about you, but that is HARD for me. It’s tough when I have been hurt. When I did trust Him, He allowed my heart to be shattered. Have you experienced this or something like it?

Deep down, I do trust in Him. But I won’t lie to you. It can be challenging.

We read verses like Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Where we read that His plans are NOT for disaster but hope… OR Psalms 37:4 Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you your heart’s desires...

Yeah, those didn’t work out well for me and my plans…

But that is precisely it. It didn’t work out for MY PLANS- My plan included two healthy (and alive) children, a happily ever after marriage, a dog that does not pee everywhere, no debt, a fantastic job, and no family drama.

My, mine, my ideas, my life, me, me, me: It makes me think of when my boys were little. Everything was “Mine!”

And when I think about this, I realize that is what I sound like to God: a child, a spoiled child.

Jeremiah 17: 7-8 states, Blessed are those who Trust the Lord… They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit. 

1. Let’s break this down. Blessed are those who TRUST (firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something) in the LORD.
2.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. (What do plants need to thrive? Dirt, sun, and water!!! Plants die without these things. This tree discussed here is planted right by a water source, a constant water source.)
3.  Such trees are NOT bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. (again, they are planted right by a constant water source. The long, hot summer days are nothing. It’s like sitting under a sprinkler all day. The lack of rain, no bother there; it has the river.)
4.  This tree’s leaves stay green, they go right on producing delicious fruit. (Normally, a healthy tree is green, and a healthy tree is a tree that gets everything it needs and produces the best fruit, not sour or bitter.)
5.  Bonus: You shall know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matthew 7:15-20 *Are you producing any fruit?

“We were not born for us. We were born by His purpose and FOR His purpose- Our life is not about us… You must begin looking for your life’s purpose with God, your creator; You exist only because God wills that you do. You were made by God and for God.” Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life

This is a tough pill to swallow. It’s not about us, and we have always used it as our starting point for life: What we want.

Now, I really hope that I am “preaching to the choir,” so to speak, but I have a feeling that I am not. When I graduated high school, I did not ask God what He wanted from my life. It never even crossed my mind. It was all about what I liked, how I could get the most money, what my friends were doing, and how I could graduate college without college algebra; nothing about God.

Jump to graduating college; still nothing about God. I majored in Elementary Education and was bound and determined to teach at this particular school. When I tell you I did EVERYTHING humanly possible to get into that school, I am NOT joking or being overly dramatic. It took God hitting my pride with a significant blow to finally get me to realize that was not his plan.

But I’m stubborn, so I got another degree. Do you think I asked God, then? Still no. I took matters into my own hands again. I quit a great job because I could make more money and work less somewhere else… (insert eye roll and foreshadowing.) I am still recovering from that one.

Thankfully, I can look back and see God’s hand directing my life. (without my permission, of course) Day by day, plan by plan, goal by goal, and decision by decision; I see it now. Hindsight is always 20/20.

It also reminds me of the verse in Proverbs: Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path. 

Let’s review this one, too, because I know I need to.

1. Trust God with all your heart- We have already discussed trusting God above. (this always means trusting his plan and his timing. So, that job you want, pray and wait for God. That person you are interested in, pray and wait for God. That house you wish to, pray and wait on God. See the pattern here?) We are good at praying but not waiting, just a guess.

•  Lean not on your own understanding- Do NOT trust or rely on your knowledge. a. His ways are perfect, and ours are not.
•  b. God does not change; he was the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow; we change our minds often.
•  c. God sees the big picture; we see it day by day. (Hynes, C., 2023)

1.  In all your ways, acknowledge (acceptance of the truth) Him – Accept that He is in control and not you. Take note that if God does not want you to do something, it’s pretty much not going to happen.
2.  He will make your path straight- If you completely trust in Him, you accept that He is in control and will direct your path. He will make your route straight when you trust and wait on him. No wandering in the dark or trying to find your way out of a maze.

So I ask you today, what are you having difficulty trusting God with?

Have you prayed and told him your struggles?

Dear Lord, I pray that each person reading this will put all of their trust in you. I pray that we, me included, will give everything to you. Not just the easy things to trust you with but the things near and dear to our hearts. I pray that we call out to you and allow you to comfort and guide us in our impatient minds. Thank you for your loving kindness and grace. Amen

Part two will examine 2 Corinthians 5: 1-8. Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on Earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. While on Earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home.** When we fully understand that we were not made for this Earth, we will begin to live differently.

1. Warren, R. Purpose Driven Life, 2002: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2. Hynes, C. (2023) Why and How we Lean Not on our Own Understanding, Bible Study Tools.