“WHEN HEAT COMES!”

Jeremiah 17:7-8                                    (ESV)

“7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 

8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear “WHEN HEAT COMES”, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."”

When I was a teenager, hauling hay was my normal summer “job”.  I was always bigger than most, and soon became stronger than others simply through hard work.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t haul hay for exercise, but it made me strong because of the HEAT and demands of the job.  One could deduce that I wasn’t really bright, because some of my friends were at home watching television while I was in the hay field.  But I had a few dollars in my pocket and I was developing my strength and endurance.  

“WHEN HEAT COMES” in life you can either run inside out of the misery, or you can face the uncomfortable circumstances and develop your strength and endurance. I’m sure it can happen, but most of the time those who are watching television don’t display the character to fight through and endure the struggles that comes from surviving the HEAT.  

However, “WHEN HEAT COMES” and you are used to it, your leaves remain green and you bear fruit for “this world” to observe.  It isn’t because I was extremely energetic that I worked in the hay fields, but I was poor and desperately wanted out of the life of poverty I was born in.  Later on in life, I was in a spot in life where I desperately wanted out of the life that I found myself in, so I surrendered to CHRIST and have been following HIS lead through this wilderness of life.  

There are many times when I feel like I am about halfway through the day and there are still 500 bales on the ground!  A rain cloud is coming my way and I am dog tired!  “WHEN HEAT COMES” we can either buckle down and keep hauling hay, or we can go inside and watch television.  Not experiencing the discomfort of being in the HEAT has its advantages, but developing strength and endurance usually isn’t one of those advantages.  “WHEN HEAT COMES” will you be ready for the fight?