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Root!


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. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

          There are times when life isn’t easy. March was a month of mourning, moving, and muddling. Part of the reason I’m rereading Hearing God is because I’m seeking direction from the Lord about everything. Professor Willard describes two types of guidance that God gives. The first is like driving a car. It’s direct. He turns the wheel and we go in that direction. The second is more personal. It asks for our cooperation. 
          I both love and hate both these methods. The car method is great because there’s no mistaking it. A friend used to talk about wanting God to lower a message on a fishing line. That’s a warm, fuzzy idea, except it takes away both choice and responsibility. I hate to have decisions made for me, as if I don’t even matter in the process. At the same time, I hate ambiguity, and I don’t tend to trust myself. Is God directing me, or am I being arrogant?
          Today’s passage is the one chosen by Bible Gateway for yesterday, but it dovetails with my reading. A tree growing by a stream doesn’t worry about whether or not it’s supposed to send out its roots. It doesn’t question whether or not it has the right. If another tree’s roots are in the way, it will grow around them. It grows where it’s planted and leaves the complications to whoever planted it. 
          This fits nicely with the notion of doing the obvious. The lesson for me for today seems to be, “Root! You have a stream. You have permission because that’s what I designed you to do.”

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