Who's Trust is the Lord Anyway?

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV)

I love this passage so much right now, especially verse 7.

In the context, Jeremiah is preaching to a people who put their trust in (what they believe is) the fact that God would never bring judgement on Jerusalem. God's holy city, and the jewel of what remained of the southern kingdom at this point would never fall out of the graces of God, by their interpretation.
What's understandable is that if you take a quick look at scripture up to this point, you can understand how they would get that. It was the city of David, and it was promised that his throne would never be without a king.

"And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever."
(2 Samuel 7:16 ESV)

So understanding this passage (along with others) in a certain way would allow you to think that the throne of David will forever stand as it was from David to the end of the ages. That's fair, right?

But Jeremiah's audience (in the face of sin and impending doom) grasped for a theology that allowed them to put trust in some thing, even something that God blessed. This all the while God's promise to David is based on nothing but God. And even that God himself would fulfill this promise in the person of Jesus (unbenounced to even Jeremiah at the time of his preaching).


...I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
(2 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV)


The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
(Matthew 1:1 ESV)

and


But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
(Hebrews 1:8-9 ESV)




So to bring this out to a quick application, it's a challenging thing to reflect upon if I'm trusting God in my mission, or for my mission. Is my faith in the character of the God I'm working for, or is it in the work I'm doing to succeed? I hope and pray that my work is not a means to the end, but rather my trust in the God who does it!