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Written by Kenva Barr, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Texas

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. (Jer 17:7-8 NIV)

We are reminded to have confident trust in all seasons. Living the Christian life is beautiful. There are so many blessings that we receive daily, but there are also a lot of hard times we must endure. We can find ourselves feeling drained and empty at times. We endure pain and suffering, too. Even when we do our best, trials arise out of nowhere. These are our seasons of testing that can leave us feeling parched and weary. We may wonder, is God really listening to our prayers? If He cares for me, why do I feel so alone, and why do I have to go through this? Our scripture is a reminder to place our faith in God. The Greek word for faith also means to believe, and to trust… which is hard to do in times of “drought.” It is hard, but not impossible.

A confident trust in God leads us to do His will, despite what life throws at us. It is what drives us to praise even when our prayers may not be answered the way that we had hoped.

How can we have confident trust in all seasons? One way is to remember that Jesus warned us that the world would hate us, and the apostle Peter warned us to expect trials. Having a mindset that allows us to remember that “this is only for a season, and seasons always change” will help. Along the way, remember to keep praying and praising God. The Bible tells us that God will draw nigh to us if we draw nigh to Him, and we need His strength.

The evil one wants us to feel weakened and give up. He wants us to dismiss our faith so he can defeat us. He will remind you of your past sins to trap you with guilt, but you are already forgiven! He will put any obstacle in our way to stop us – even those we love – but we have God’s help. If you stumble, forgive yourself and pick yourself up; you have God’s grace. Remember, the enemy was already defeated at the cross.

Endurance is so important. Don’t allow your feelings to rule your actions. Keeping our focus on spiritual matters, especially when things go wrong, strengthens our faith. This is what it means to be rooted: you are unmovable. Keep following Jesus! Keep serving and loving others, and don’t neglect Bible study or worship. When possible, spend time with others of the faith to be strengthened. Share your struggles and how you have overcome them, too.

You never know who will benefit. Remember to ask for prayers when you feel overwhelmed, and talk to a trusted Christian who has gone through that struggle and can give you wise counsel. When I lack confident trust in God, and the scorching heat of fear and doubt try to burn me, I meditate on God’s promises for reassurance:

1. God will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5,6; Dt 31:6; Isa 41:10).
2. I can be content in every situation; Jesus is my peace (Jn 14:27; Eph 2:14).
3. In my weakness, God lends me His strength (2 Co 12:9).
4. God will meet all my needs (Php 4:19).
5. God gave me a Spirit of power, love, and discipline (2Ti 1:7).
6. If I put Him first, everything else will eventually fall into place (Mt 6:33; 2Co 5:9; Ecc 12:13).
7. Everything will work out for the best because I love God and do His will (Ro 8:28).
8. I can cast all my anxiety on God; He cares for me (Php 4:6,7; 1Pe 5:7).
9. God will keep me; I don’t need to be anxious (Rev 3:10; Mt 6:25-34).
10. God will fight for me (Jos 1:9).

Focusing on God’s promises helps anchor us in our faith. In any season, through any trial, we can confidently trust that God is in charge and that God has a plan for us (Jer 29:11).

What other promises of God can you think of, and how do these give you confident trust in Him?

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Written by Rayne Paz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

My mother was always growing plants, and when I moved into my new house, I decided to bring that practice to my home. I confess that at first I wasn't very used to all the proper care, and some died. However, interestingly enough, one of them, which seemed dead, after a few days of pruning and watering, began to grow again like a new plant, restored and transformed. It was interesting to observe that its dry branches began to sprout new shoots. A true renewal.

This is the example used by Isaiah in chapter 11, verse 1, and chapter 53, verse 2. That which seemed to be dead and broken burst forth to create something new, and we could not be speaking of anyone other than the Messiah. The Messiah, Christ, came to renew and bear fruit in wisdom, justice, and faithfulness for a people already considered "dead." This renewal extends beyond the original recipients and reaches us. "And again, Isaiah says, ’The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope'" (Ro 15:12 NIV).

In John 15, Jesus states that His disciples are also branches sprouting from a true vine: Himself. We are the fruit of Christ's work on the cross; we are the branches that sprout from His sacrifice. Now, if we are connected to a living tree, nothing is more inevitable than growth and the bearing of fruit. However, this growth and fruitfulness require some considerations:

• Pruning: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (Jn 15:2) - Growth only occurs on a clean branch, and we are cleansed by pruning with the Word. We must read it, put it into practice in our lives— for it is like a sword that pierces us to transform us (Heb 4:12).

• Permanence and Dependence: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (Jn 15:4). - No branch produces fruit on its own— it is necessary to depend on the Vine. Bearing fruit implies understanding that we cannot do it alone; we need to abandon the idea of ​​independence and submit our lives to Christ.

• Attributing glory to the truly worthy: “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (Jn 15:8). - It is common for humans to observe their results and attribute the achievement to themselves or their own efforts. This is not how it works in the Kingdom of God. God is glorified when we produce fruit, and we should attribute such an accomplishment to Him.

As a result of sprouting, we too must continue producing. God invites us, through the example of Christ, to submit to Him, to be established in Him, to depend on Him, and to produce for Him.

In what ways can you bear fruit today? In service in the congregation? Loving in your home? Evangelizing the lost? Praying for someone? I am sure there are many ways to manifest these fruits. And don't forget, God is glorified in our lives when we bear fruit. So: bear fruit!