Deep Roots

“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.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

The prophet Jeremiah presents a stark contrast between the life of one who trusts in the Lord and one who trusts only in human strength. Those who are self-reliant he compares to desert shrubs in a barren wilderness (Jer. 17:5-6), They have no place to turn when life heats up or when the storms arise. They will soon wither and fade because they have no hope for the future. 

But those who trust in the Lord are like the trees that grow along the river bank with deep roots nourished by the flowing waters. Even when the heat is turned up or the rains are withheld, they are not bothered or worried. They are rooted in the word of God, which has become a source of life for them. Their leaves are always green and they bear fruit by sharing the good news concerning the hope they have in Christ.