Why Do I Fear the Future?

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

   who rely on human strength

   and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,

   with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness,

   in an uninhabited salty land” (Jeremiah 17:5,6).

This chapter in Jeremiah has been a huge encouragement to me for the last few years.  I have memorized these lines, I have mediated on their meaning, I have visualized the words and I have created a living “movie” in my heart and imagination of how ridiculous it is to trust in mere humans.

Aaaaaaaand then I find myself doing it again. (How does this keep happening?!)  A sure sign that I am trusting in my own strength is when I start to fear the future.  Security, peace and radical rest in God’s strength is virtually unheard of in our day and age.  With the amount of knowledge, information and technology it is easy to feel like I can’t keep up.  With the pressure of worldwide social networking, the necessity of capturing one’s attention and then feeling the responsibility of being a faithful steward of what I’ve been given, I can start to feel barren and lost amidst a vast wilderness with no hope for the future!

Trusting in our own strength is actually, in essence, turning our hearts from the Lord.  I know you are just like me – I never ever EVER want to turn my heart from the Lord.  Let’s be those people that trust God in a way that blows people’s minds.  Let’s experience God’s perfect love that literally chases away the fear of the future.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

   and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

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 never stop producing fruit”

(Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Today is my day to smile with God and trust Him with every detail of my life.  I put off and send away all stress, all worry, all anxiety and tension.  I cast my cares to the Lord!  I put on confidence, expectation and dependence on my Father in Heaven.  How loved am I!  What an assurance it is to know He cares about every detail of my future and I can trust Him!

Thanking God for Your Amazing Future,

Audrey