Without Fear

“ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
   For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river,
   And will not fear  when heat comes; But its leaf will be green,
   And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit."  
   Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

Given our current temperatures, this scripture seemed appropriate. We know what it feels like when the heat saps our strength, and we sweat, our cheeks pink, our throats parched. We reach for the coolness of ice water and press the glass to our faces, necks and then we drink it down. The water refreshes and cools us. It perks up our wilted selves and we continue mowing the grass or trimming the hedges or watering the tomatoes.

This scripture tells us that when we trust in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, we are refreshed spiritually with his presence, his strength, and we need not fear what the heat does or how high the temperatures climb. Our daily challenges are no match for our source.  When we are rooted in the Lord like this or put another way: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NKJV   Then we bloom and grow, producing the fruit of our trust, our hope in the Lord.