The season of Lent provides an opportunity for Christians to still their hearts in the lead up to Easter and take time to reflect on the greatest act of love – the washing of our sins by our saviour Jesus. As we consider together the theme of water throughout the Bible, we pray you will grow to trust the Spring of Living Water more and more. Choose whether you want to read the devotional or watch it… or both!
A Lent devotional on Jeremiah 17:7-8
"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."
We love having plants in the WorldShare office – they bring life and colour to our workspace and we enjoy watching them sprout new leaves as the months go by. However, my colleague Clare will testify that I’m quite rubbish at remembering to water them and they inevitably start to droop and shrivel. When I came back from maternity leave, the plant I had left in her care had tripled in size thanks to her nurturing and watering.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 talks of a tree that is planted by the water, whose roots are sent out by the stream. This tree doesn’t have to worry about being watered, about whether there will be enough rain to satisfy its needs. It is perfectly placed to have a constant flow of fresh water- it wisely knows to send its roots out towards the stream. And you can tell it’s well-rooted by looking at it: its leaves are always green, never shrivelling even in the heat. It always bears fruit, even when there’s a drought. It is thriving!
Jeremiah uses this imagery to illustrate to us what it means to be blessed. A person receiving God’s blessing has planted themselves within the loving care of their maker. They know God well, they are confident in Him, they delight in His instruction and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2-3). They wisely turn their heart towards God rather than away from Him (Jeremiah 17:5-6), even when hard times come. And you can tell they are well-rooted by looking at them because they bear the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
So this Lent, let’s ask God to help us be like the tree rooted in Jesus, the Living Water. Let’s pray that we stay planted in times of hardship, bear fruit and thrive.
