Blessed Is the Man

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water...

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

-Jeremiah 17:7-8

I've read those verses since I was a child. Blessed is the man. Blessed is the man. I remember asking my Mom once why the men were always blessed. She sighed.

I came across this passage recently. Strange, I know, but I've been curious: what does a righteous person... a godly person... what does he look like? What does she spend her day doing? I read and stumbled upon these verses once more. Hello again, blessed man, I smiled.

In the Hebrew, the literal translation of these verses goes deeper than the words we read in our English Bible. "Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord, whose trust is in Him," it reads. "He will be like a tree [that's been] transplanted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear/worry when heat comes; its leaves are always green."

You know, I've always read those verses as more of a commandment. Of another "must do". Trust in the Lord. Trust, trust, trust in the Lord. Be like a tree. Blessed is the man. Stupid is the man who doesn't. Or who tries but still worries, struggles, and doubts. Blessed is the man who trusts and never screws it up. Bless only him.

My breath caught this morning when I realized that, really, it can be simple. That these verses aren't as much a commandment as they are a key to living a blessed life. Trust. Whatever trust you have, bring it and throw it down at Jesus' feet. Trust. The simple act of putting your assurance, your expectation, your faith... your trust... in God makes you a blessed man. Makes you a tree transplanted by the deep, cool water that sends down roots into the depths of belief and safety that are not your own but are there for the claiming. It makes you a blessed man who doesn't have to panic or worry or question when life happens. Why? Because the very essence of you is anchored in the divide between land and water... between your hope and God's help.

My preacher talked about heaven yesterday. About how wonderful it will be. About how lovely- beyond our most beautiful imaginings- it will be. About how we'll thrill at every minute of it ... not be bored by it... because our soul's deepest needs and our heart's deepest longings will be met - at every turn - by God's presence. His beauty. His light. His holiness. There are no tears there. No separations. No work. No need. Only God at His fullest and most brilliant.

I realized, then, that until the day we move home, a smart man... a blessed man... would truly be wise to be that tree. To transplant himself - no matter where he's been living until now - on the shore where his lack meets God's plenty. Where the roots of his disappointing, difficult, or demanding life dip partly into where he's planted and partly over the side of where God's divine grace and deliverance meet.

Blessed are you... and blessed is me... whose very hope and trust - however bruised, broken, or battered it is - is offered up to straddle the divide between where our life meets God's outstretched hand. Blessed is the man.

Monday Moment is a little devotional read to help kick-start your week. See you again next Monday!