5 This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 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.” (Jer 17 NIV)
Two trees are described here. One that is parched and dry, a barren tree in a barren land. The other is a tree planted by water, with green leaves, never failing to bear fruit. We can be like either of these trees - the choice is given us. The difference is: where are they planted? Tim Chester and Paul Tripp take this image of the two trees and develop it, to illustrate that our beliefs determine our behaviour.
If we are a tree planted in the ground of self-reliance "the one who trusts in a man, who depends on flesh for his strength" then we will be barren and fruitless. If we trust rather in the Lord, we will bear much fruit.
The way to fruitfulness, stability and life in our lives, is not by attending directly to these things. We should first make sure our roots are in the right place. Are we relying on the Lord to help us, or are we relying on ourselves?
This is one of the reasons why doctrine is so important. It is not just about getting our thoughts right about God, and other topics (though this in itself is vitally important). But our beliefs determine our behaviour. Where we have our roots determine whether we will bear fruit. This is why Paul writes to Timothy and others so strongly about the dangers of false teaching:
"3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain." (1 Tim 6)
False teaching leads to broken lives.
We can either be a fruitless, barren, dead bush, or a green, abundant, fruitful tree. Only if we are rooted in the gospel ground of trusting the Lord will we be fruitful. If we rely on ourselves we are like the tree in the barren land.
As Jesus himself put it:
"If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
