Trusting in the Lord: From Desert Shrub to Thriving Tree

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

By repeated and persistent habit, the people of Judah had made sin, faithlessness, and rebellion a way of life. The pieces of evidence were everywhere. Their children gave ample testimony to their idolatry. Everywhere, in every suitable location, even in the temple (2 Kings 23:7), they had set up shrines to Baal and his consort Asherah. She was the mother of the gods. They worshiped her by raising up sacred wooden poles near her shrines and offering themselves to the temple prostitutes. Through these widespread practices, they had turned their hearts from the Lord. Because of that sin, through their own fault, the Lord would surrender them and His temple and all its treasures to the looming enemy.

Into this dire situation, the Lord had called Jeremiah to preach and to call the people to repentance, starting with their wayward kings. Jeremiah’s main opponent was Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, a “man” who trusted in Egypt to protect his nation from Babylon rather than trusting in the Lord. Jeremiah tried to warn the king, but he did not listen to him, leading Jeremiah to proclaim:

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

“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 17:8).

Jeremiah zeroes in on the real problem. It lies at the heart of the king and the people. Jeremiah contrasts the way of unbelief and the way of faith. The real difference comes out in the long run. Cursed is the person who puts hope for the future in something human, the one who looks for ultimate security in other human beings. This is “flesh” in the same sense that the Apostle Paul negatively uses it in his epistles. Since this cursed man is trusting in the flesh and blood of men, he has turned his heart from the Lord. St. John refers to this as “boasting of what he has and does” (1 John 2:16). This refers to the unshakable confidence that there is nothing we cannot solve, no force we cannot master and turn to our use. This mistaken confidence is the pride that grows from all our accomplishments, the gleaming monuments of our technology, the storehouses of our wealth, the libraries and databases filled with our knowledge.

But what is the foundation of all this hope? Man and flesh. Man was made from dust and shall return to dust. The end of the one who trusts in the flesh will be empty and fruitless. Jeremiah describes this condition in terms very familiar to his listeners. To the east of Jerusalem lays the Judean wastelands, hard country in which even a scraggly juniper bush had to struggle to live. A little farther lays a wilderness in which nothing green lives, the land of salt along the Dead Sea.

In the desert, shrubs like juniper or mesquite face extreme heat, limited water, and poor soil. As a result, they tend to be small, with shallow roots that spread out to capture any available moisture. These shrubs often have tough, small leaves to reduce water loss and can survive in very arid conditions. However, they do not flourish and are often stunted and sparse, breaking off at their stems and turning into tumbleweeds.

The one who trusts in the strength of man has no roots, and he will not flourish even when good comes. He misses it entirely. This cursed man dwells in dry and desolate places where nothing grows.

What a contrast to the blessedness of the person who trusts in the Lord! This person places his hope, his faith, and his confidence for all things in the Lord. Using the figures of Psalm 1, Jeremiah pictures this person as a “tree planted by a source of water that does not fail. Trees near a stream have access to a constant water supply, which allows them to grow tall and strong. Their roots can extend deep into the soil, providing stability and access to nutrients. The trees are typically lush and green, with healthy foliage that remains vibrant even during hot, dry periods. They can bear fruit and provide shade and shelter to other organisms all year round.

Such is the figure of the believer. He lives by the stream of living water, flowing from Scripture, giving him fellowship with God Himself. Because of this living and giving water, this fountain of life, he can stand up under the toughest times. Jeremiah, no doubt, wants the reader to understand that he, too, has found such strength in the Lord. It is his faith alone, sustained and nourished from the Word that enables him to be true to his calling and to stand up under the fierce opposition he encounters. All this is by God’s grace given through faith.

Here, a closer examination of our text is helpful to understand who the Doer of this action is. The word “planted” would be better translated as “transplanted,” to move a plant from one place to another, generally to an environment better suited for growing and thriving. In the case of our text, it is a matter of God transplanting His people from a dry and desolate desert of trust in man to a lush oasis fed by the streams of living water by His Word.

We, by nature, like Jeremiah’s original audience, find ourselves in uninhabitable places because of the Fall. We cannot even perceive the good because we are surrounded by so much sin and evil. So, what does the Lord do with cursed people putting confidence in the flesh? He graciously transplants us. He moves us from drought and death to the living waters where we may flourish.

We need a Gardener to come along and lift us up and put us where the water is because, without Him, we are stuck. We cannot do this for ourselves. So, God sends Jesus who, at His resurrection, was “supposed (by Mary) to be the gardener” (John 20:15). This Gardener and Savior transplants us by the waters (Ezekiel 11; Psalm 1:3; Joshua 1:8). Where are those waters in Jeremiah? They are in the House of the Lord—the Temple. Where are the waters for us? In the waters of Baptism, which are flowing and dispersed in the house of the Lord (Psalm 92:13).

The comparison and contrast going on here is between the juniper and the blessed transplant. The juniper trusts in the flesh, and since it has no roots, it becomes a tumbleweed, blown and tossed about by every wind (Ephesians 4:14). The blessed person is the transplant of the Lord who has root and, therefore, life. He has this because his faith and trust is in the Lord. In other words, the metaphor Jeremiah is using is that of a tree.

Now, you do not have to go too far with the tree metaphor to find the Gospel implications. Paul says the tree we are transplanted into is Calvary (Galatians 3:13). Baptism connects those transplanted into Calvary to that moment (Romans 6:4-7), where water and blood flowed for our life and salvation.

The person who is blessed as they have faith and trust in the Lord has no worries, according to Jeremiah. Because when the heat comes, he is planted in the water of the Lord’s house. This is opposed to the cursed man who cannot even see the good God gives because he trusts only in the things of this world for good. In fact, those transplanted by the Lord are evergreens who stay leafy in the Lord year-round. Whereas the tumbleweeds are deciduous in that they always lose their leaves (2 Timothy 4:2), but especially during times of drought and intense heat. Those blessed who trust in the Lord are not anxious when drought comes because they have the roots that run deep from the tree into which they have been transplanted. Furthermore, they are always bearing fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) from the One whose life is their life by His death and resurrection.

The metaphor of the shrub in the desert and the tree planted by the stream serves as a powerful illustration of the consequences of where we place our trust. The cursed man, who relies on human strength and wisdom, finds himself in a barren and desolate place, struggling to survive. This imagery vividly captures the futility and emptiness of a life disconnected from God. On the other hand, the blessed man who trusts in the Lord is like a tree planted by water, thriving and bearing fruit even in challenging times. This contrast emphasizes the importance of placing our faith and confidence in God, who provides the nourishment and stability we need to flourish.

Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah is a timeless reminder of the dangers of idolatry and self-reliance. By turning their hearts away from the Lord and placing their trust in human alliances and false gods, the people of Judah brought upon themselves the dreadful consequences of their actions.

Jeremiah’s call to repentance and trust in the Lord is as relevant today as it was then. We, too, are faced with the choice of where to place our trust. Will we rely on our own strength and the fleeting promises of the world, or will we root ourselves in God's unchanging and life-giving presence?

As we reflect on this message, let us examine our own lives and consider where we have placed our trust. Let us seek to be like the tree planted by the stream, drawing our strength and sustenance from the living water of God's Word and His presence. In doing so, we will find that we are able to withstand the trials and challenges of life, bearing fruit in all seasons that brings glory to God and blessings to those around us. May we continually turn our hearts to the Lord, trusting in His provision and grace, and experience the abundant life that comes from being rooted in Him. May God grant this to us all. Amen