THE SECRET TO LIFE

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17:7

 According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, “The dietary vitamin and supplement industry was a $122 billion industry back in 2016. Much of this growth has been driven by an increase in consumer demand for health and wellness products.”

 Twenty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that it would be possible for large retail chains, like GNC, to have stand-alone stores dedicated to just vitamins and nutritional supplements. It would have even been hard to imagine there would be enough consumer interest to support such retail stores, not to mention online availability. All of this is possible because people simply want to live longer, fuller, and healthier lives. Almost everyone, it seems, is searching for the secret to life and longevity.

The prophet, Jeremiah, had a secret to life that he wrote about a few thousand years ago.  This secret has stood the test of time, and even to this day, anyone can benefit from it. This secret to life is found in Jeremiah 17:7-8 and says, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

If Jeremiah had only chosen to use the word “blessed” to describe this secret to life, that would have been plenty. The word blessed describes an abundance of living and fullness of life within God’s divine favor. But Jeremiah goes on to describe even more benefits for the ones “who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”

 He goes on to describe them as stable and unable to be moved by the circumstances around them, anchored by roots that go down deep into the water, not bothered by the heat, or worried about drought. Jeremiah then uses the analogy of their leaves staying green, which speaks of health and wholeness, and always producing fruit.

Today, if you find yourself like so many, seeking the secret to life, become one of those who puts their trust in the Lord, and make Him your hope and confidence.