Being Connected to the Right Source Matters!

“In the world, you will have trouble” confirmed Jesus (John 16:33). How do we experience peace during trouble? A word picture from the Lord helps us to understand.

Think about a lush and green tree with beautiful flowers, followed by fruit production in the midst of a drought and heat. This is possible only because the tree is planted by a source of water. This location has caused its roots to spread out and receive vital nourishment. Days without rain does not interfere with the life of the tree. Instead, despite the heat and lack of rain, the leaves remain green and the tree does not cease yielding fruit. This description is recorded in Jeremiah 17:7,8 and helps us to understand just as the tree remains unaffected by trouble because of its connection to a life source, so are we unaffected as we trust and hope in the Lord Who is our Life Source. We must be vitally connected. This connection is a picture of intimacy. It is intimacy with God and His Word as they cannot be separated. As we delight in the Lord and His Word, like the tree we are connected to our Source which sustains us during every tribulation and trial. Anxiety does not rule us even during challenging times. Instead, peace rules our lives. It is this abiding place of intimacy that keeps us in perfect peace even in trouble. Isaiah 26:3,4 states, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” Intimacy causes us to delight in Him and reflect continuously on His Word (Psalm 1:2). This keeps us in perfect peace.

Knowing the One we are abiding with contributes to our peace. Although we will experience trouble, our confidence is in knowing that Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). In Him we can have perfect peace and confidence (Amplified John 16:33); we can be of good cheer, take courage, be certain and undaunted, because of Jesus’ work. Jesus said, “I have deprived it (the world) of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.” Jesus is our peace. But it is only by being grounded in Him, being grounded on His truth, that we are secure in peace. Even when we don’t understand everything, we know the One Who knows; He is the treasury of all wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). We are secure in Him, the Greater One, Who never changes, and Who has no rival or equal.

The Lord is our only path to a life of peace. On this path there is resistance, and the path is narrow, but His “Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105). We can trust our footing but only if we allow His Word to be our guide. His Word helps us to know the truth versus the foolish and false ways of this world. Trouble or worldly ways will try to distract us, intimidate, and “lead us away from Christ’s fullness…” (Colossians 2:8). Only God’s anointed truths benefit us, keeping us intimate with Him and in perfect peace.

Intimacy with the Lord is intimacy with His Word. This intimacy is your peace. And this is how we are like a well-watered tree during every season, fruitful and established in life because of our Source.