The Bush and the Tree

Jeremiah 17:5-8: "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. 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. 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."


God is the Master of analogy. He loves to use imagery (metaphors, similes, and personification) to teach us invaluable lessons from His Word; and in the citation above, He contrasts a bush in the wastelands with a tree growing by a stream of water to teach us of the importance of trusting not in ourselves but in Him alone.


As we reflect upon these teaching illustrations, we learn several key points:


First for the bush (i.e. the person who sets his heart toward his own strength and turns away from the LORD):


The bush finds itself in a barren wasteland. Wastelands in the land of Israel were arid, infertile places that few plants and animals could grow let alone thrive. As one thinks about this imagery, one pictures a bush standing isolated in the desert. The unimpressive bush fails to fulfill its God-given purpose to produce fruit, because it is planted in soil that lacks the vital nutrients for prosperous growth and it lacks the much needed water that provides and sustains life. It is of no benefit for those passing by; in fact, people will look upon the plant with disdain, for it is such a disappointment in not producing the anticipated fruit for which it was designed.

Whereas the warmth of the climate may have been attractive at first, the bush now finds that the scorching heat and lack of substantive water supplies are starving it of much needed nourishment. Even if an occasional rain shower passes by, its positive benefits are quickly lost as the conditions of the land quickly evaporate the much needed rain, leaving the bush without any relief. Whereas the bush may have thought the setting to be a great place for cultivating itself, it now finds itself secluded and starved. Not only does it lack water and nutrients, but it also lacks the support of other vegetation to help shade it from the ill effects of the arid climate. In the end, the bush withers away, for it is not connected to the perpetual stream that would bring it life and vitality.

In thinking of a plant lacking a harvest of fruit, one is reminded of Jesus' encounter with the fig tree in Mark 11:12f. Jesus had become hungry and looked to a certain fig tree for fruit but found none. From a distance, the tree had green leaves and appeared to Jesus as if it should have fruit; but upon closer inspection, the tree was a major disappointment . . . a lot of show with not much substance. Jesus responded by cursing the tree, so that it would never produce fruit again. When the disciples returned to the tree later, they noticed that it had withered all the way to its roots. Since it was of no use to the Master, it was destroyed.




In contrast, the tree by the stream (i.e. the one who puts his faith and trust in the LORD) has a very different outcome:


The tree is planted next to a perpetually flowing stream, that brings health to the plant no matter the circumstances. Even if the tree finds itself in the same dry, abysmal terrain of the bush, the difference is found in the tree's connectivity to the stream . . . the true source of life. The tree has no fear WHEN (NOT IF) the heat comes. This tree knows that the stressful circumstances of its climate will come each day; still, there is no worry about its condition, for the tree has its life sustenance close by. Its leaves continue to thrive, and it produces fruit to be a blessing to any person passing by. Even in the year of exceptionally impressive drought, the tree continues to grow and produce with noticeable distinction.


And because the stream provides the adjacent soil with the nutrients for vegetation to thrive, the tree is likely to find other productive plants nearby. This tree is not isolated, but enjoys the association with other trees and plants that are connected to the same water source. As the tree enjoys its sense of community, it benefits from the adjacent trees which help to shade each others roots from the damaging rays of the sun.

This is a great story which is analogous to our connectivity to the Lord. It is of vital importance for us to be connected to the Lord, for only He can provide us with the spiritual nourishment for us to fulfill our purpose of producing fruit for His glory. Therefore, we must stay close to the Stream of Life (i.e. the Lord) in order that we might weather the storms of life, and continue to thrive for the Lord in all circumstances.

When we are connected to the Lord, we also receive the blessing of fellowship with other followers of Christ. We are able to mutually encourage and support each other along the path of life, until the day of our glorification, when we forever will enjoy the Lord and each other in a state of eternal perfection and wholeness.

Let us learn from this simile of the Lord that we must never put our allegiances in our own accomplishments and abilities; rather, let us surrender ourselves to the Lord and savor the blessed benefits of His grace and provision for our souls. We then will thrive in our lives, producing a wonderful display of spiritual fruit that glorifies the Lord and contributes to the furtherance of His beautiful Kingdom!