The prepositional difference

The boy I love has highlighted Jeremiah 18:8 as one of his favorites in the Bible.
And I never would have took heed of the verse right before it, if CJ never pointed me in that direction. They both are so fully engaging, and made the reader yearn to please God:

"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."

James tells me that even the demons believe God. But there is a difference between believing (or trusting) and believing in, and trusting in someone or something.

I have been reminded of recently of a story about a man who is tight-rope walking across a strong waterfall between two gigantic rocks. The man talks to a crowd below him asking them if they believe he can walk across. They all say yes. So he does. He then asks if they believe he can walk across with a cat. They nodd accordingly. Of course he can, they think. So he does. What about his child? Of course. And he does it. What about an adult. "Yes we believe you can." He asks for a volunteer. The crowd is silent.

There is a huge difference in believing that God can do what he says he can in the lives of other people and believing he will do what He promises in my own life.

It's takes some faith to believe in the stories some people have of God: He parted the red sea, the walls of Jericho came down, Abe didn't have to sacrifice his son b/c an angel appeared to him. But to say that God can part the red seas of my life — that he can make the impossible possible ... well that involves two letters more than faith. It is faith IN him for me. Those two letters mean that I have to take a step in the direction that leads to me letting go. I have to come to the place where I say, Lord I just can't do this. You have to.

And then I have to say okay Lord, not only do I trust you to walk this narrow road, I trust in you, that you have enough power, enough balance, enough grace WITHOUT my power, my balance and my grace. So I must become somewhat lifeless, close my eyes jump on His back and recognize that the safest place I can be is attached to Him.

... you alone oh Lord make me dwell in safety... (Psalm 4:8b)

I must trust IN him, I must have confidence IN him.
And then I'll be a forever green luscious tree with plenty of fruit to go around even in those seasons of drought.