Like a tree deeply rooted by Rev. Grace Reyes

Hello Brave Hearted Steppers,

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD; Speaks of the one who trusts in the LORD and through that trust He will be like a tree planted by the waters, whose leaf will always be green.

Jeremiah drew on the images of Psalm 1, where the blessed man is the one who delights in God’s word.

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3  He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV

In some sense, Jeremiah thought trusting in the LORD to be the same as delighting in His word.

“Since Jeremiah offers two variations on the theme of Psalm 1, here in Jeremiah 17:7-8 and in Jeremiah 12:1-2, it seems possible that Psalm 1 was available to the prophet.”

In Psalm 23:2 the psalmist writes “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” There is another verse in Luke 6:43-45 which again reiterates that the garden, where it all began was an important part of God’s plan for the earth. He states in the verses of Luke that a tree is known by its fruit.

God has, since the beginning of creation been calling us back to where it all began, (Genesis 2:8-10) that Eden in which He decided to create us in His image. Although we have as a people deviated from the original plan, God’s heart is to bring us back to where He fellowshipped and walked with us.

Through our own sinful natures, we have been apart from God because we want to trust in ourselves more than in Him. He shows us through His word in Jeremiah 17 verse 7-8 and through the many passages in the Bible that when we trust Him, do His will, obey the leanings of the Holy Spirit there is a victory to be had in that. Faith and trust are companions that should walk side by side.

To have and exercise faith is pleasing to the Lord, it praises him directly without song but action. When we pray and give our petitions to him, we act in a way that shows God our confidence in His ability to act on our behalf.

In a Genesis 12 act of faith Abraham, walked without hesitation out of his comfort zone, in a cozy place with family and familiar surroundings in the desert to trust God for guidance and direction. How many of us can boast of this today?

Blessed Keys Ministry began its journey a year before it was launched in 2019 when I felt a leaning to create the website and the Lord sent people my way to help me create His plan. This is all God; He should only get the glory. I have learned in these four years to do His will, and to walk in the plan. Every time I have leaned upon my own understanding….Oh boy did it go off course!

I have not been shy about testifying about the plans that God gave me, I have solicited help from many people who had the heart to join in the quest to bring hope and healing to many people. God brought them in to offer their generosity and talents to bring about the ministry that is four years running.

Through this ministry, I see the image of a wonderful healthy thriving tree and each leaf on every abundant branch represents a person who has helped. Better yet, the roots are deep and nourished with the waters of the Holy Spirit and they are thick and deeply entrenched in the earth. The ministry is a collective effort bringing people of different denominations together with the heart to serve. They are able to give to others what the Lord has freely given to all of us, Love, Kindness, and Mercy.

I encourage all of you to be the representatives of the tree that God imagines for all of us to be, fruitful and abounding in good works for His glory. We are here to enrich the earth and our fruits should testify to the mercy and grace of our God. Where are you planted? Check to see if your fruit is something you are proud to share with others. Remember that you can allow yourself to be deeply rooted and therefore you have no fear of drought because you are planted by rivers of water that are holy.

Rev. Grace Reyes
Founder of Blessed Keys Ministry