Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. 

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night.

                                 Jeremiah 15:7-8; Psalm 1:1-2

I find myself moved by those words of the Prophet Jeremiah and the psalm for this week. Trust in God and our dependence on him to lead us along right paths are the way that God intends us to live. It is this trust that makes life liveable. Jeremiah gave his prophecy to the people of Judah who had violated the covenant between them and God as given in the Law, the Torah by worshipping foreign gods, perpetuating injustice to the vulnerable, and even child sacrifice in the Temple.  The psalmist's first words gave simple, sound advice: those who follow the law of the Lord are happy and blessed; those who do not are doomed. 

When I think about what Israel was dealing with during the days of the Prophet Jeremiah, it seems that his world wasn't that different from ours. Oh, the gods may be different. We may not worship Baal (the Canaanite god), but our modern society worships money, power, fame, glamor, and comfortable living. We may not sacrifice children in the temple, but we often ignore the most vulnerable in society, we look the other way when we see racism, intolerance, rejection of those who are different. Maybe, we simply don't notice--or choose not to.

But, it's the words of Jesus through Luke's version of his Sermon on the Plain where we get a new perspective on this theme of trusting in God. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven." (Luke 6:20b-23a) Jesus turned everything on its head and offered the people some hope. His world was essentially no different from Jeremiah's or ours. He and his people lived under Roman rule. He preached a message that did not conform to the actions of the Jewish status quo, which often was corrupted. Yet, in the midst of all that, he gave his listeners a glimmer of hope--maybe even more than a glimmer. Those who live in poverty will receive the rewards of the kingdom of God. Those who are hungry will be fed. Those who are sad, despondent, or downright destitute will find happiness, not just in the here and now, but also in eternity.

Now where does all of that leave us in 21st Century America, in the world in which we live? It goes back to Jeremiah's advice to Israel to trust in the Lord. It is only through our faith in God and his faithfulness to us that we will be able to survive in this world. If we hold on to that faith, then if we are hungry and impoverished in any way-whether it be lack of money, loss in our lives, or lack of food itself--God will provide for us and fill us with what we need. We need to keep the faith and have patience, because God doesn't always act in the time frame that we imagine, nor does he often act in the way we expect. But when he does act, it's often swift and clear. We must take a good look and see where God is indeed acting in our lives.

Maybe you don't have a lot of money in the bank, but examine yourself and your life to find the places where you are rich--where you have something that somebody else doesn't. Maybe it's a skill that you're able to do or things that you know. If you are hungry or feel unfulfilled, think about the places where you do. What things in your life give you the most joy? Ponder just how blessed you are to have them. Because, those who seem rich on the outside lack something in their lives that you might have. The people who seem to eat in all the fancy restaurants or always have lots of food on their dining room table may be hungering for love, acceptance, or even finding their path in life. The face that is all smiles and laughter may be hiding a heart of pain and a life of turmoil. You just never know, and as humans, we are all dealing with something.

The good news in all of this is that we have hope. We have hope in God that if we simply trust him, trust his timing, trust his guidance, then we will survive in this big bad world. We will be "like a tree planted by water," sending our roots by the stream (where we will be further nourished). We will bear fruit and have leaves that do not wither. Everything we do shall prosper, for we will be living the life that God intends for us to live.

Examine your life. Where are you rich? How are you fulfilled? What makes you smile? Think of those things when life gets hard. And above all, trust God.

Click here for the full text of Fr. Whitmire's sermon.