Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He 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.” NIV

I am so thankful for this verse today.

I am so thankful that God laid this project on my heart.

This time that I am spending each morning, searching His word on the subject of worry, is helping me in ways that I could never have imagined. I am going through a transition in my life, one that began a few weeks after I started this project, one over which I would have worried myself to death.

But, God knew the transition was coming. And, God knows His children. I’m a pretty goal oriented person. If I set a goal, and especially if I am accountable for the outcome, I am the kind of person who will keep at it, no matter what.

In this case — oh the wisdom of God! — the goal was to spend time each day looking for reminders not to worry. I am amazed at all of the ways that God spoke to me about this challenge, in perfect timing.

First, I saw the movie, “The Book of Eli.” If you have not seen it, I will not spoil it for you. It is terribly violent, but, I, and the friends I saw it with, left the theater humbled by how little of the Bible we had committed to memory.

Second, in church that next week or so, our worship leader asked the congregation to call out verses they had memorized. Again, I was convicted. I knew a few verses by heart, but, I did not know where many of them were in the Bible.

Third, I heard an amazing speech by Beth Moore, in which she exhorted us — all of her listeners — to “Get in God’s Word!” every day.

Fourth, I heard several times this last year that the Bible contains 365 reminders not to worry — and I knew that worry was something with which I struggled mightily.

And finally, I saw just the first part of the movie, “Julie and Julia.” If you’ve seen it, you’ll know that Julie’s husband sets up a blog for her, and he makes it look really easy.

So, I began. I sat down at my computer, built my blog in about 17 minutes, and started this project.

God uses all manner of ways to speak to His children. Since I wasn’t spending conscious time in His word each day, He used other means to get through to me.

But now, that He has me where I should be, in His word each day, listening for His voice and His guidance, He is unfolding treasure after treasure for me.

This verse tops that list. When I looked at it in The Message, I read the verses that precede it, as well: “Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight. He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth. He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows. But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers — never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.” The Message

I am trusting God today.