Confidence in Christ Uncovered – February 17, 2022

“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.”
Jeremiah 17:7,8

Confidence in Christ Uncovered

The prophet Jeremiah said that someone who is rooted in the Lord: 1) does not fear when the heat comes, 2) has no worries in the year of drought, and 3) never fails to bear fruit. Those are three powerful illustrations that lead to three very natural questions we frequently use to help us evaluate how we’re doing in life:
What am I currently afraid of?
What am I currently worried about?
And finally, where have I failed to bear fruit in my Christian life?

These are questions that not only help us evaluate how we’re doing in our Christian lives; they also often bring an unwelcomed guest into our lives when we’re trying to answer them. A guest that shows up as a voice saying: “Shame on you” for being or feeling any of those things. “Shame on you” for being the kind of person who’s afraid or worried, though God commands us not to be. “Shame on you” for failing to be all that God tells us to be.

That’s a hard voice to hear, and it’s a hard voice to silence once it starts talking. This is why Jeremiah so intentionally points us to the “him” we can confidently put our trust in.

That “him” is Jesus. He was never afraid that all our failures wouldn’t be forgiven, since he was the one fully responsible for making it happen. Jesus knows the frequency of our fears, worries, and failings but also wants us to know that, because of our connection to him by faith, we stand here today as those who do not need to be worried or afraid of any trouble or sin.

Prayer:
Gracious Lord Jesus, help me to always place my confidence in your perfect and completed work as our Savior. Amen.